LTA Disallows Long Handlebars

Sometimes we wonder whether our authorities actually stop to think when they come up with rules, or consult the people who will be affected by them.

Clearly they don’t, as a netizen has pointed out a rule that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been enforcing that actually endangers the lives of mountain bikers.

In a Facebook post on Thursday evening (May 26), netizen Jarvis Tan sent out a warning to fellow mountain bikers, telling them to watch out for LTA officers on the streets after encountering a few LTA officers at Petir LRT station, on his way back from a biking trip to Bukit Timah.

Halted By The LTA

Mr Tan had been halted by the officers for having long handlebars and for not having his cycle lights on him.

Although he was let go with only a warning, they said he would be fined if he continued cycling without correcting the mistakes — i.e. his handlebars had to be cut to less than 700mm in length to comply with the LTA regulations.

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Mr Tan took issue with this order, though, and in what is becoming the norm nowadays. took to Facebook to voice his displeasure.

Mountain Bikes Banned?

He argued that the LTA restriction indirectly banned all cyclists from riding most mountain bikes, as a common feature among mountain bikes was a long handlebar.

He added that mountain bikes have long handlebars because they give cyclists more control over their vehicles, making the ride safer in uneven terrain.

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He also complained that cars on the road did not seem to look out for bikers, therefore making it dangerous to ride slowly.

Maybe he is one of the cyclists who were dissatisfied with the dedicated cycling lane in Changi?

Reason Behind The Rule

We think that the most plausible explanation behind the rule is to ensure that bikers do not ride cycles that are too wide, causing trouble to drivers and other pedestrians.

If the handlebars are too wide, they might have a higher risk of getting into accidents when used on main roads.

One netizen, Mr Swen Einhaus, even pointed out that this was part of the Active Mobility Bill, that was set to take effect later this year.

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That being said, LTA might have to reconsider this rule, given that many cyclists like Mr Tan seem to use bikes that are longer than the legal limit.

It’s evident that more than a few users were unhappy with the rule, as could be seen from their comments on Mr Tan’s post.

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Reconsider

Will the LTA reconsider their rules? Probably not, as they didn’t seem to consult bikers when implementing them in the first place.

We’ll have to wait and see but until then, it would be wise to keep your mountain bikes at home lest you face a run in with the LTA.

Featured image adapted from Bikezilla and Facebook