By Teh Joo Lin & Muhammad Nurluqman

UNAPPROVED motorised bicycles seem to have returned to the roads here, despite rules against them having been in place for a few years.

They have been spotted zigzagging among other vehicles, chugging along faster than they should, and even carrying passengers and goods.

In the first seven months of this year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) caught 21 people riding two wheelers that failed to meet technical regulations introduced in 2004.

This is about twice the 11 riders caught in the whole of last year. The year before, 14 were booked.

The Straits Times visited Geylang - a known hotspot - this month and spotted 14 motorised bicycles within an hour.

All appeared to be unapproved models: The bicycles kept moving although their riders were not pedalling. Among the LTA's regulations is that power from the motors of such vehicles be cut when the rider stops cycling.

There was also a question of speed: Several bicycles were zipping along at speeds comparable to the motorcycles and cars around them. This flouts another regulation which requires the motor power to be cut off when the bicycle hits 25kmh.

The LTA also requires motorised bicycles to resemble conventional pedal bicycles and have a maximum power output of only 200 watts if they are to be approved for use.

The summonses handed out so far have been in instances where such technical regulations have been breached; the statistics for summonses handed out for the flouting of non-technical safety rules are not available.

These non-technical rules, which also took effect from 2005, were enacted for the safety of riders and other road-users.

For example, riders have to be at least 16 years old and wear bicycle helmets, and they are barred from carrying pillion riders and using expressways.

But these rules - technical or otherwise - are being flagrantly flouted in Geylang and Bukit Merah.

The Straits Times spotted several speed demons whizzing by on machines that looked more like motorcycles.

Most riders did not wear helmets, either.

One such rider spotted in Henderson Road admitted he should have worn a helmet, but claimed he was safe because he was riding close to the kerb. His bicycle's top speed of 25kmh was 'not too fast', he added.

The 41-year-old cleaner, who wanted to be known only as Moses, said he had paid $1,000 for his bicycle, which he rides to work in Orchard Road.

'It's useful for those with a low income,' he said.

In Geylang, a bare-chested rider was eliciting a symphony of horns from motorists forced to brake suddenly because he was weaving in and out of traffic at high speed. A few others were riding against the flow of traffic.

Two motorised bicycles were carrying pillion riders, and one, with a rack of cut fruit, appeared to be a business on wheels.

Several people have written to The Straits Times Forum to complain about such cyclists. One said many do not wear helmets, while another reader said many of these bicycles are also being ridden on pavements, making such walkways a hazard for pedestrians.

The police say two fatal accidents involving such bicycles have taken place in the last three years. In both cases, the riders, aged 69 and 80, were involved in collisions with cars.

Road users say the riders ought to be more careful. Said sales executive Glenn Koh, 35: 'When you fall off a pedal bicycle, it's already quite bad. Imagine a motorised bicycle: at that kind of speed, if you have a crash, the damage will be much more severe.'

joolin@sph.com.sg

luqman@sph.com.sg

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.