Markings make for safer rides at Gardens by the Bay

Reflective strips painted on cycling lanes increase visibility for cyclists and park users

Metre-long markings have been painted at intervals of 2m to make the demarcation between cycling and jogging paths more visible at night and in low visibility. The strips have been applied along a 1.5km stretch at Bay East as well as another kilometr
Metre-long markings have been painted at intervals of 2m to make the demarcation between cycling and jogging paths more visible at night and in low visibility. The strips have been applied along a 1.5km stretch at Bay East as well as another kilometre at Bay South. ST PHOTO:LIM SIN THAI

A 2.5km stretch of cycling lanes at the Gardens by the Bay has been painted with reflective strips to improve the safety of riders and other park users.

The metre-long markings have been painted at intervals of 2m to make the demarcation between cycling and jogging paths more visible at night and in low visibility.

The strips have been applied along a 1.5km stretch at Bay East as well as another kilometre at Bay South.

The three-day project, which cost more than $10,000 and was completed on Jan 8, was undertaken by insurance company AXA Singapore as part of its Safer City contest last year.

The idea was one of three winning entries among the 600 submitted by the public on how to make Singapore a safer place.

The two other winning suggestions - improving the home safety of the elderly, and supplying underprivileged kids with healthier meals - had been implemented earlier.

AXA Singapore's chief corporate responsibility officer Kwek-Perroy Li Choo said the firm chose the winning ideas based on their feasibility, and reach to different communities in society.

Housewife Liau Nyet Sung, 44, who submitted the idea to improve the visibility of cycling paths, said: "When I cycle at night, I sometimes find it difficult to see the cycling paths clearly - especially when they are crowded, or when there are bends which are blocked by trees.

"The reflective strips would help make the paths easier to see."

While Gardens by the Bay does not keep track of cyclist numbers, its director of Gardens operations, Mr Ng Boon Gee, said the park is popular with cyclists who like to use the promenade linking Bay South and Bay East.

By using the paths at Bay South and Bay East, cyclists and joggers can travel between East Coast Park and the Marina Bay area.

Mr Muhammad Hambali, 24, who works in the dispatch industry, uses the Bay East and Bay South paths daily, cycling from the Geylang park connector near his home to the Marina Bay Financial Centre.

He said of the reflective strips: "It's a great idea. They can guide cyclists away from the walking path, where joggers or tourists may be enjoying their night at the Gardens by the Bay."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 17, 2016, with the headline Markings make for safer rides at Gardens by the Bay. Subscribe