Should Singapore Adopt a Bike-Sharing System?

By Desiree Yang If you ever find yourself strolling along the bustling streets of New York City (NYC), you are likely to stumble across at least one of the hundreds of Citi Bike docking stations located all over the city. Since its launch in May 2013, NYC’s very own bike-sharing system, Citi Bike, has become tremendously popular among New Yorkers who are able to whizz around the city on a shiny blue bicycle for just US$95 a year, US$25 for a seven-day access pass or US$9.95 for a 24-hour access pass. Bike-sharing systems – where bicycles are available for shared use on a short-term basis – have spread around the globe, with more than 600 cities in the world now having similar systems. On our very own sunny shores, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has plans to roll out a bike-sharing trial in areas with cycling path networks at the end of next year, and is currently calling for industry players to submit proposals for it via a request-for-information (RFI) exercise. The notion of a bike-sharing system has its fair share of supporters and detractors in Singapore, and it’s safe to say that the eventual fate of a bike-sharing system here is still up in the air. A Healthier and Happier Nation Following the implementation of bike-sharing systems in cities like London and Cambridge, UK, it was found that people enjoyed overall benefits to their health, particularly among men and older users. Probable reasons for this include citizens’ more active lifestyles as a result of biking, and cleaner air because of fewer cars on the road. A bike-sharing system has the potential to be a great complement to a city-state like Singapore, which is constantly trying to devise solutions to minimise and prevent traffic gridlocks. In addition, commuters in Singapore are also likely to be happier following the implementation of a bike-sharing system as past research has shown that commuters who cycle to work are some of the happiest people around. When one doesn’t have to deal with crowded buses or trains, or the stress of traffic and aggressive drivers, it’s not difficult to see why you’ll arrive at work in a better mood. A Greener Nation Bike-sharing systems have also proven to effectively reduce air pollution in cities by relieving traffic congestion and reducing vehicle emissions. An example of this is Paris, which was one of the first cities in the world to successfully launch its bike-sharing system, Vélib’, back in 2007. Since the launch, the city has effectively reduced its carbon footprint by cutting down on air pollution, and is now moving towards a new initiative – a car-sharing system! A Cautionary Note In the one year that Citi Bike has been in operation in NYC, there have been zero fatalities – a rather impressive feat for a city whose roads are as congested as those here in Singapore. However, many in Singapore will tell you that our roads aren’t the most “cyclist-friendly”, with reports citing a record number of cyclists killed and injured on our roads in 2013. Large set-up costs aside – CitiGroup alone contributed US$41 million to Citi Bike – the safety of commuters is clearly another concern that must figure prominently in the minds of city planners. With unresolved safety issues, it’s safe to say that Singapore still has a long way to go before joining the 600 other cities in the world in their successful, safe and widespread implementation of bike-sharing systems. Furthermore, Singapore will have to set out clear objectives for a proposed system, whether it is to solve the perennial “last-mile” problem to connect commuters from bus and train stations to their destinations, alleviate increasing demand on our roads and public transport networks, or improve air quality and public health by encouraging people to choose bicycles over their cars. However, given the widespread benefits to be had, there is little reason why we should not dedicate considerable resources to moving forward and ironing out the kinks. What are your thoughts on bike-sharing systems? Should Singapore implement one? Share with us in the comment box below! CareerBuilder Singapore is the owner of JobsCentral.com.sg, one of Singapore's largest job and learning portals. Get a free career personality test and more career- and education-related articles at JobsCentral and JobsCentral Community. Alternatively, Like us on JobsCentral Facebook Page or Follow JobsCentral on Twitter for more career-centric content!