News

In mid-2015, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced that it was starting a study on improving the connectivity between Bishan and the Central Business District for greener modes of transport such as cycling. At that time, it was reported that if completed, it could take a cyclist about 30 to 45 minutes to make the journey, compared with about one hour to 1½ then ( , June 30, 2015). I would say that a commute from Bishan to the CBD today is no faster than it was eight years ago. The underpass beneath the Central Expressway between Toa Payoh and Potong Pasir which did not present an issue except for slightly low headroom, has been closed since the third quarter of 2021 and is still not open. The required detour means the rider has to dismount and push the bicycle across an overhead bridge. The second obstruction is around the Geylang Bahru Industrial area. Because of the detours brought on by construction works, I would estimate that the commute from Bishan to the CBD is now about 1hr 10mins. When there are improvement works along our roads, great effort is taken to minimise inconvenience and travel time for motorists. Yet little consideration seems to be shown to mitigate the inconvenience caused to bicycle commuters. If we were truly serious about encouraging greener modes of transport, it should be a priority to make bike commutes as convenient as possible to encourage more to take up cycling.