The East Coast Town Council is facing backlash from the cycling community after police fined several cyclists for riding in Bedok Town Centre.
This is the first time fines have been meted out there, with town council and police previously opting to issue warnings instead.
Eleven cyclists were fined $100 each on Thursday under the town council's by-laws.
Despite three years of warnings and advisories being issued, the situation "has gone from bad to worse", said the town council. Every month, it receives about four to five complaints from people who are hit by reckless cyclists.
"Many accidents in these cases involved senior citizens, children and even pregnant ladies," it said in a Facebook comment.
The strong reaction from the cycling community started on Thursday afternoon after a photograph of cyclists being issued summonses was posted on the town council's Facebook page.
The SG Cyclists Facebook page, which has 7,220 followers, re-posted the photograph on its own page. "Take bike go market also cannot!? (sic)" they wrote.
The town council clarified that it is not against cyclists who cycle on pavements leading to the town centre. Those who were fined had been riding illegally in the town centre on common walkways with high pedestrian traffic where they are meant to dismount and push.
Not all cyclists are bemoaning the town council's actions.
Said Safe Cycling Task Force president Steven Lim: "If everyone were to be a bit more considerate, I don't think the authorities would be taking such action."
In Tampines, cycling on footways is allowed but ensuring harmony between pedestrians and cyclists still requires enforcement there, said its Member of Parliament Irene Ng. To tackle reckless cycling, the town council there hires auxiliary police officers who give warnings first but issue summonses after the third warning.
