Individuals, government, corporations should
encourage walking and cycling among Singaporeans to promote a zero fuel emission
mode of transport. Encouraging cycling can be done through the building of more
bicycle pathways, bicycle parking areas and bicycle friendly traffic system. Walking
can be encouraged among the public by the promotion of healthy living. City
planning is important so that each estate has the necessary facilities to meet
the needs of the people so that everything that an individual needs is within
walking distance.
The Singapore government is currently heavily
investing in its infrastructure by building new train stations and creating new
bus routes so as to cater to the growing demand of Singaporeans. There should
however, be an emphasis on riding bicycles and walking so as to grant more
options to individuals in terms of modes of transportation. This will ease the
burden that is placed on the Singapore public transport system during peak
hours. As can be seen in the recent MRT train malfunctions and breakdowns,
there is a strain on the current transport system. This strain can be mitigated
if more people used bicycles to move around or walked to close destinations. Thus
it will be immensely beneficial in terms of alleviating the strain on the
current transportation and reducing emissions if more people walked and cycled
more.
In order to promote more bicycle riding and
walking, there should be more walkways and bicycle pathways in Singapore. The
more infrastructure exists to encourage biking, the more people will bike and
the more society reaps the benefits of public health, energy, and lifestyle
that comes with an increasing share of people cycling as a mode of
transportation. More bicycle and walker friendly infrastructure will naturally attract
more people to walk and cycle more when there are roads put in place
specifically for that reason. Another way to encourage people to cycle more is
to implement more bicycle parking areas near MRTs and in the town area.
Currently the bicycle parking areas are more often than not overcrowded as
there is not enough space for cyclists to park their bicycles. Therefore, there
needs to be more bicycle storage areas in Singapore so driving a bicycle will
remain an attractive mode of transport in Singapore. On top of this, the
traffic system in Singapore needs to cater to cyclists. There should be fixed
rules and regulations on cyclists to ensure their safety. The promotion of
helmet wearing among cyclists needs to manifest more fully so that falls will
not result in serious injury.
In companies, one suggestion to encourage
walking and the use of bicycles to travel is to organize programs for employees
where the employees can come together and go for a walk or a cycling trip
around the area of the company. This will plant the idea in the workers’ head
that walking and cycling are indeed good modes of transport to get from one
place to another if the distance is not too long.
Tim Fernholz (19 Apr. 2012) If You Build Bike Lanes, They Will Ride (Apr. 2012)
Retrieved from:
Promote
Walking and Bicycling
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