Actually the rule has been around for donkey years.
While it is illegal to cycle on the footpaths, the traffic
police generally turn a blind eye to cyclists who are not cycling
recklessly and will only catch those who are quite obviously riding
unsafely.
Just go around, if the TP was really clamping down, they would
literally have thousands of people to catch, not to mention it
isn't really hard to drive around for more then a few moments
before you spot people cycling on the footpath.
While it is written in law, it is one of those rules that the TP
will enforce depending on the situtation... if the amount of
complains on cyclists on the footpath goes up, they will then start
to clamp down on it... but I don't think their intention is to stop
cyclists from using the footpath, but rather to weed out reckless
cyclists. Personally I have ridden on the footpath in the prescence
of Traffic Police and they didn't pay me any further notice.
But use your common sense... if you see people on the footpath,
use your bell and don't speed. Also don't zip past them at high
speed and do unsafe things... cyclists have been sharing the
footpath with pedestrians for years and there hasn't been too much
of an issue if cyclists respect those who are walking.
Unfortunately some jokers just don't do that and that's where the
problem starts.
But riding on Singapore roads? I think your life is worth more
then a $20 dollar fine. I just think the problem is not just with
drivers, but with the fact that Singaporeans in general have no
space for the humble bicycle in their minds as a valid form of
transport, and hence act as if there isn't a need for them.
The current road environment is simply too unfriendly for safe
riding, esp. for the mother who is ferrying her kid back on her
bicycle (you expect her to ride on the road?) or the uncle riding
his flying pigeon. What about a young secondary school boy? Ban
everything? Limit cycling only to the parks?
But frankly I think more harm will be done trying to force
cyclists to stick to the roads. The problem with trying to pass
hard-and-fast rules is that they don't really solve the issues.
Singaporeans really should be learning to move out of this "ban
culture" and learning how to respect one another. It is our
responsibility to cycle safely.