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Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers have been out and about, and it's not just errant PMD users that they are after this time.

A new rule kicked in on Sep. 1, 2021, where bicycles on public paths and roads are required to have at least one functioning handbrake.

In enforcement

A video uploaded to the @sgfollowsall community page shows a rider getting booked for his brakeless bicycle.

The rider, who also appears to be the one recording, said, "Byeeeeee. That's f*cking sad," as officers wheeled some bicycles away.

The incident took place on the night of Sep. 3, in the vicinity of Marina Bay Sands.

A notice of offence was also displayed in the video, stating the offence as "bicycle without brake."

Mothership understands that those have been booked will be undergo an "interview" with the authorities, after which any penalties, such as fines, will be decided.

Another user chimed in on the processes as well:

Cyclists caught without a functioning handbrake may be fined up to S$10,000 and/or jailed for up to six months, LTA reminded riders in a Facebook post.

The authority also said enforcements officers will be "keeping watch day and night", including through joint operations with the traffic police.

However, brakeless bicycles, which are typically used for racing and stunt riding, can still be used in controlled environments, such as pump tracks and skate parks.

How the rule came about

This new rule was made after the Ministry of Transport (MOT) accepted the recommendations put forth in Dec. 2020 by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel.

The pedals on a fixed-gear bicycle, also known as a fixie bike, are directly coupled with the wheels.

Cyclists who ride this sort of bicycles without handbrakes have to slow or stop the device by resisting the motion of the pedals with their legs.

But such bicycles can be dangerous for novice riders.

On Jan. 8, 2020, a 13-year-old girl lost control of her friend’s fixed-gear bicycle at a Pasir Ris multi-storey car park and was flung off the device, falling six floors to her death.

Top image via @sgfollowsall/Instagram