SINGAPORE - A cyclist was taken by surprise when his mountain bike was recently confiscated by the authorities because of the length of its handlebars.
In a Facebook post last Friday (June 29), Mr Aloysius Teo said his bicycle was impounded by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as its handlebars were longer than 700mm - higher than the limit allowed for use on footpaths under the Active Mobility Act, which kicked in in January this year.
"I wanted to cross the junction at the traffic lights, so I went up the pavement," he wrote in the post, which included a photo of the LTA notice.
"And the LTA officers stopped me, and informed me that it is an offence to ride on the pavements," he added.
He also warned others to be mindful of riding their bikes on the pavement if their handlebars are longer than 700mm.
Under the Active Mobility Act, users of personal mobility devices, bicycles and personal mobility aids must weigh no more than 20kg and its handlebars measure no longer than 700mm in width for use on public paths. They also cannot exceed a speed limit of 15kmh on footpaths, and 25kmh on cycling and shared paths in park connectors.
When contacted by The Straits Times, Mr Teo said he was shocked when approached by enforcement officers while he was cycling in Marsiling.
"At first, I thought maybe the traffic lights were down, that's why they were there. But they stopped me, measured my handlebars and told me they were above the limit," said the 28-year-old technician.
"I was told I had to dismount and push on pavements, otherwise I have to ride on the road. This was my first time hearing of this," he added, saying that the handlebars on his mountain bike, which was bought second-hand a few months ago, measured 800mm.
He added that the bike was then confiscated by the LTA, and he was told it would take roughly two weeks for investigations by the authority.
He also had to pay $150 for the bicycle to be transported.
"I don't want anyone else to go through the same thing as I have. I actually love cycling, so when this happened to me, I wanted to share my experience so other people would be aware as well," he added.
