By Diana Othman

MOTORCYCLISTS are feeling the heat, with 116 machines torched so far this year in 14 cases of arson.

Bikes seem to be a hot favourite of pyromaniacs and vandals. Last year, 86 bikes were melted down, an increase from 65 the year before.

The 52 which caught fire in a Gangsa Road multi-storey carpark last week was the highest number of vehicle casualties in a single incident this year, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Many of these arson cases appear to be committed by youngsters.

Mr Chua Soon Yong, 20, a national serviceman, lost his $30,000 Honda CV-400, 400cc bike in the blaze. He now gets a lift from a friend to his camp in Bedok or takes the bus. 'It is very unfortunate that I lost my bike but there is nothing I can do about it,' he said sombrely.

Mr Chua's bike was insured against arson and he will receive about $8,800 for the wrecked vehicle. 'I don't have enough cash to get another bike right now but I hope to start saving again and maybe get a new one in December.'

HDB structural engineers have been examining the damage and looking at the kinds of repairs that need to be done on the carpark, said Mr Jason Tan, property manager of the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council (Bangkit Office).

'HDB and the police are also exploring ideas of installing a form of surveillance, including CCTV, in the Gangsa Road multi-storey carpark, but that is still being discussed at the moment,' he added.

Last Sunday, another 10 motorcycles were torched in a late-night blaze at a car park near Block 6A, Woodlands Centre Road. The police arrested a 23-year-old carpenter five days after that with the help of CCTV footage. He was charged in court on Saturday with arson.

Eleven motorcycles and three cars were damaged during a fire at the Block 709A multi-storey car park in Woodlands on July 13 this year.

Those who commit mischief by fire or any explosive substance can face a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.

A check on 10 carparks where fires broke out this year showed that none had additional security features such as CCTVs installed.

A Housing Board spokesman said that carparks are designed with security in mind. For example, carparks are built at accessible locations and are usually well-lit at night. Their decks and staircases can also be easily viewed from the surrounding blocks.

The spokesman did not confirm if additional security features would be installed, adding that crime prevention is a 'joint community effort'. Residents and grassroots organisations in some estates have started groups to patrol public areas, said the HDB, but it could not say where these were being done.

Mr Tan Jin Thong, president of the National Safety Council and president of the Institution of Fire Engineers Singapore, said a motorcycle usually takes a few minutes to burn. 'Such fires will burn intensely and spread rapidly with the presence of highly flammable liquids such as fuel.'

Even though bikes have become an easy target, not all owners go beyond the minimum insurance coverage required under the Road Traffic Act.

This basic coverage is known as Third Party cover for liability to third party injury and property damages. Such a policy does not cover any damages sustained to the insured motorcycle.

According to an NTUC Income spokesman, just over half of the riders insured with the company take on the Third Party Fire and Theft and Comprehensive covers, both of which include coverage for loss to the insured bike as a result of fire, including arson, and theft.

Veteran biker Peter Tan, 48, who has been riding for 31 years, pays over $800 a year for comprehensive coverage. 'My motorcycle is precious to me and I have lost a bike before as it was stolen, so substantial coverage is important.'

But for Riduan Arasid, 20, a basic Third Party cover, which costs him about $500 yearly, was all he could afford. 'I don't have enough cash for the other covers as I am still a student,' he said. 'But if my bike was damaged by fire or stolen, I'll be devastated.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 22, 2008.

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