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A group of 11 cyclists were caught on video pedalling down New Bridge Road.
The video has gone viral on social media — and not because of their apparent disregard for the new road cycling guidelines introduced from Jan. 1, 2022.
Instead, what seized the attention of netizens was the fact that at least five of those cyclists were involved in a confrontation with the driver of a car, after apparently getting honked at, and chasing after the car for around 300m down Keong Saik Road.
Timestamps on the video footage suggest that this happened in the early morning at around 1 am on Jan. 9.
What the video showed
The video recording starts with the driver turning left onto New Bridge Road, after having given way to pedestrians at a zebra crossing, and then waiting for the column of cyclists to pass.
The car follows behind the cyclists for some distance, heading towards the intersection of New Bridge Road and Keong Saik Road.
The cyclists appear to slow down and stop as they approach a coffeeshop.
The last rider in the column of cyclists, clad in a black helmet and a sleeveless top, turns back to look at the car — presumably because the driver has sounded the horn at the road obstruction.
Nonetheless, the driver slows down to negotiate the partially obstructed left turn, and does so uneventfully.
The car then proceeds down Keong Saik Road, picking up a passenger just ahead of a 7-11 outlet.
Shortly after this, however, a cyclist in a blue t-shirt rides up on the right of the car, overtakes it, and dismounts. He is soon joined by three others, who also dismount and begin to confront the driver.
The cyclists had apparently chased the car for over 300m:
The cyclist in blue lays his bicycle down on the road, and moves to confront the driver, gesticulating.
He is also seen banging on the car's bonnet, as another cyclist moves to take the bicycle off the road.
The eventual outcome of the incident was not captured on camera, though it appears that the driver got out of the car to speak to the cyclists.
The video ends with a photo of a clear handprint on the rear window of the car:
Guidelines not followed
Covid-19 regulations currently forbid social gatherings of more than five persons.
However, it's not clear from the video whether all 11 cyclists were from different groups of five or less.
But at least nine of them can be seen stopping at the intersection.
As for their road usage, road cycling guidelines introduced from Jan. 1, 2022 call for different groups of cyclists to keep a safe distance of approximately two lamp posts (or around 30m) between groups.
This was apparently not followed, as seen from the footage of the 11 cyclists:
Many call for ban, or for cyclists to be registered
In response to the video, many commenters called for a ban on road cycling, or for cyclists to be required to register and have license plates.
The latter idea was mooted by Ho Ching in 2021, and reviewed by a government panel.
However, the panel concluded that such a policy would not be recommended "at this juncture".
The panel said that there was "little evidence from overseas jurisdictions" that registration for cyclists was an effective way to deter errant cycling and enhance road safety.
It added that such measures would hinder the take-up of cycling in Singapore and "disproportionately" affect seniors and those who use bicycles for work and commute.
You can watch the full video here:
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Top image screenshots from Beh Chia Lor on Facebook and SG Road Vigilante on YouTube
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