Cyclists recount the dangers of riding along Tanah Merah Coast Road

Life has not been the same for Ms Kathleen Seng and her family since she suffered a traumatic brain injury and partial memory loss from a cycling accident along Tanah Merah Coast Road.

- Esther Loi

In February 2022, the retiree – a seasoned cyclist of 25 years who used to frequently join overseas expeditions – was cycling at the back of a group of four when her friend hit a large rock on the road and fell.

Ms Seng swerved to avoid running over her friend and fell off her bike. She was unconscious for two weeks, and woke up unable to move or talk coherently for a month.

Three years on, the right side of the 54-year-old's body remains significantly weaker, even with the help of physiotherapy.

Tanah Merah Coast Road has a straight 10km-long stretch with a dedicated on-road cycling lane stretching from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Changi Ferry Terminal, which allows cyclists to travel uninterrupted at high speeds.

The dangers of cycling along Tanah Merah Coast Road were brought to the fore by a Straits Times Forum letter writer, who wrote on May 19 that increased construction activity along the stretch has raised the risk of cycling accidents there.

The writer, Mr Michael Price, 66, pointed to a large number of heavy vehicles stopping illegally along the cycling lane to wait their turn to enter construction sites, and how they scatter construction debris on the road.

The Singaporean, who is originally from the UK, fractured his hip socket – part of the pelvis – when he was flung off his bicycle after he hit a rock the size of a fist along the road in May 2024.

He said the increased construction activity comes amid the expansion of Changi Airport, with Terminal 5 (T5) in the works.