STUDENTS from Admiralty Secondary School acted as safety ambassadors on Monday morning to encourage cyclists in the Woodlands area to adopt safe road habits.

The three-day effort was initiated by Sembawang Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC), acting on resident's feedback that the many cyclists in the area often pose danger to pedestrians.

The students positioned themselves at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 7 and Gambas Avenue, and nearby footpaths and stopped passing cyclists to tell them that the safe thing to do is to dismount their bicycles and push them across.

They also gave out brochures to these cyclists and pedestrians.

'The area is a hotspot for cyclists who are on their way to work at nearby companies like Seagate and Sembawang Shipyard,' said Mr Goh Peng Hong, vice-chairman of the Committee.

'One pregnant lady was very anxious because she was almost hit by a cyclist at the pedestrian crossing,' he said.

The students found that the cyclists were open to being educated.

Said Ng Jun Wei, one of the 20 ambassadors: 'Most of them stopped and listened to us, and followed what we said when I explained to them individually. Some were surprised to find out they were not supposed to ride across pedestrian crossings.'

To ensure that these workers, who are mostly foreigners, know the dos and don'ts of riding on the road, the committee has also collaborated with the Land Transport Authority and Traffic Police to conduct talks for these workers at the companies they work at.

The CCC also incorporates road safety messages in the house visits that it conducts twice a month.