Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng
LTA's active mobility enforcement officers advising cyclists to keep to their lane next to a newly converted 200m-long pedestrian-only path in Tampines on July 1.
SINGAPORE – Officers will take a reasonable approach when enforcing the proper use of pedestrian-only paths, said Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng, reassuring cyclists that they will not be unfairly targeted and fined.
In a Facebook post late on July 2, Mr Baey said the focus is on 'errant cyclists who speed or ride in a reckless manner on paths', putting others in danger.
From July 1, cyclists and users of non-motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs) such as kick scooters
can be penalised for riding on designated pedestrian-only footpaths located in towns across Singapore.
These paths, marked with the words 'pedestrians only', are meant for pedestrians and users of personal mobility aids (PMAs), such as electric wheelchairs.
Cycling paths have been painted red.
The demarcation of paths for pedestrians and cyclists 'provides more certainty' for users and allows them to better anticipate each other's movements, Mr Baey said.
'I understand cyclists are concerned about this change, and are worried about being targeted and fined,' he said.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore No train service across entire Bukit Panjang LRT line due to power fault
Asia US, India push for trade pact after Trump strikes deal with Vietnam: Sources
World Trump tax Bill stalled by Republican rebellion in Congress
Business Microsoft cutting 9,000 jobs companywide in second major wave of layoffs this year
Opinion How Apple gave 'the gift of fire' to Chinese electronics firms
Asia Malaysian nurses following the money abroad for more opportunities
Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade
World Iran's nuclear programme degraded by up to two years, Pentagon says
He assured them that the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) active mobility enforcement officers (AMEOs) would 'consider the ground situation'.
For example, a cyclist who has to momentarily ride on a pedestrian-only path to avoid an obstacle or to safely overtake slower-moving path users will not be penalised.
'But beyond rules, we need to cultivate a culture of gracious path sharing and protect the safety of the most vulnerable, especially with our ageing population,' Mr Baey said.
Bicycles and non-motorised PMDs remain permitted on shared footpaths.
More than 200km of footpaths next to cycling lanes
have been turned into pedestrian-only paths since the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the initiative in August 2024.
First-time offenders convicted of riding on a pedestrian-only path can be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to three months, or both.
Pedestrians who stray into cycling paths will not face these penalties, though they should keep to the pedestrian-only path for their own safety, LTA said.
Speaking to reporters on July 1, Mr Baey said that while the AMEOs will give people 'benefit of the doubt', they cannot be too lenient.
'Otherwise, the law has no teeth,' he added, saying that a signal must be sent to those who repeatedly flout the rules.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
22 minutes ago
- CNA
Netanyahu vows to uproot Hamas as ceasefire proposals are discussed
JERUSALEM/GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (Jul 3) vowed to eradicate Hamas, even as the Palestinian militant group said it was discussing new proposals from mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Israeli leader had yet to comment on US President Donald Trump's claim that Israel had backed a plan for a 60-day truce in its offensive against Hamas in the war-ravaged territory. But a week ahead of talks scheduled with Trump in Washington, he vowed to "destroy" Hamas "down to their very foundation". Hamas said it was "conducting national consultations to discuss" the proposals submitted in negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations. The civil defence agency said that Israeli forces had killed at least 47 people on Wednesday. Among the dead was Marwan Al-Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital, a key clinic in the north of Gaza, Palestinian officials said. Trump on Tuesday urged Hamas to accept a 60-day ceasefire, saying that Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal. Hamas said in a statement that it was studying the latest proposals and aiming "to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israeli forces from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip". Netanyahu vowed however: "We will free all our hostages, and we will eliminate Hamas. It will be no more," in filmed comments in the city of Ashkelon near Gaza's northern border. HOSTAGE RELEASE DRIVE Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar earlier said that he saw "some positive signs", amid high pressure to bring home the hostages. "We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire," he said. "Our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible." Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. A Palestinian source familiar with the mediated negotiations told AFP that "there are no fundamental changes in the new proposal" under discussion compared to previous terms presented by the United States. The source said that the new proposal "includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees". ISRAELI AIR STRIKES In southern Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday that hit a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area. Despite being declared a safe zone by Israel in December 2023, Al-Mawasi has been hit by repeated Israeli strikes. AFP footage from the area showed makeshift tents blown apart as Palestinians picked through the wreckage trying to salvage what was left of their belongings. "They came here thinking it was a safe area and they were killed. What did they do?" said one resident, Maha Abu Rizq, against a backdrop of destruction. AFP footage from nearby Khan Younis city showed infants covered in blood being rushed into Nasser Hospital. One man carrying a child whose face was smeared with blood screamed: "Children, children!" Among other fatalities, Bassal later reported five people killed by Israeli army fire near an aid distribution site close to the southern city of Rafah and a further death following Israeli fire near an aid site in the centre of the territory. They were the latest in a string of deadly incidents that have hit people trying to receive food. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. EVACUATION ORDER Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it "is operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" in line with "international law, and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm". It said in a statement that a 19-year-old sergeant in its forces "fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip". The military late on Wednesday issued a fresh evacuation warning to residents for three neighbourhoods of Gaza City, urging them to flee south to the Mawasi area. Israeli forces are "operating with extreme intensity in the area and will attack any location being used to launch missiles towards the State of Israel", Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a message on Telegram. "The destruction of terrorist organisations will continue and expand into the city centre, encompassing all neighbourhoods of the city," Avichay wrote. The military earlier said that its air force had intercepted two "projectiles" that crossed from northern Gaza into Israeli territory. Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.
Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- Straits Times
South Africa's former deputy president Mabuza dies
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Former Deputy President of South Africa David Mabuza poses for a photo as he arrives ahead of the inauguration of South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa as President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on June 19, 2024. PHILL MAGAKOE/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's former deputy president, David Mabuza, who helped bring current President Cyril Ramaphosa to power, has died, the presidency said on Thursday. Mabuza, 64, served as deputy president from 2018 to 2023 and played a key role in ensuring Ramaphosa won the tight 2017 party contest to lead the African National Congress. Details on the cause of death were not immediately available. In the months after the 2017 contest, Ramaphosa's allies on the ANC executive pressured scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma to quit, paving the way for Ramaphosa to become head of state. "The former deputy president deserves our appreciation for his deep commitment to the liberation struggle and to the nation's development as an inclusive, prosperous, democratic state," Ramaphosa's office said in a statement. Mabuza had not been seen much in public recently and had been unwell, public broadcaster the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported, without disclosing the illness. A former schoolteacher and premier of the Mpumalanga province, Mabuza struggled to shrug off allegations - which he denied - of irregular tenders for a 2010 World Cup stadium and links to political killings. Mabuza told the media that he had been poisoned in 2015, dubbing himself "The Cat" for surviving what he described as political attacks, according to SABC. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Sport 'Pedal to the metal' for next 2 years, says Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub The moniker stuck, and it later emerged that Mabuza had travelled to Moscow for specialised treatment. REUTERS
Straits Times
39 minutes ago
- Straits Times
US' Rubio calls off his Japan and South Korea visit, Nikkei reports
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is postponing his visit to Japan and South Korea to focus on the Middle East, Japan's Nikkei newspaper said. TOKYO - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called off his first visit to Japan and South Korea to focus on the Middle East, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported on July 3. Mr Rubio was expected to land in Tokyo on July 7, but he has informed the Japanese and South Korean governments that his schedule will be postponed, the report said. Mr Rubio had planned to visit Japan for the first time in early July, followed by South Korea, before attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meetings in Malaysia, Kyodo reported last week, quoting a Japanese government official. Instead, Mr Rubio is set to attend a meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Nikkei added. Earlier in the day, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said that Mr Rubio's visit to South Korea appears to be 'difficult' to arrange in the near future. REUTERS
