938LIVE reports: Abandoned bicycles are a nationwide problem, with close to 300 notices issued each month for unattended bicycles. However, solving the problem isn't so straightforward.
They are a safety risk on stairwells of HDB flats, and can be found chained along public places - abandoned bicycles are a nationwide problem.

The Municipal Services Office (MSO) told 938LIVE that its partner agencies issue close to 300 notices each month for unattended bikes. And while a number of agencies, including Town Councils, have some responsibility for clearing them, solving the problem is not that simple.

REMOVING BIKES NOT ALWAYS STRAIGHTFORWARD

At Balam Road in MacPherson, many abandoned bicycles can be found, and some are even rusting away with missing pedals and wheels.
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At the lift landing on the 8th floor of a block of flats, the basket of a child's bicycle is now used as a rubbish bin while its wheels and other parts are also missing.
A resident told 938LIVE that a neighbour left it there two years ago, after the family moved out. She informed the Town Council's refuse collectors, who told her to contact the Town Council directly.
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Marine Parade Town Council (MPTC), which manages the estate, said staff make daily inspections, but it mostly depends on feedback from residents before bicycles are removed. The Town Council receives about 40 such notifications a year.
The Town Council also sticks a notice on suspected abandoned bicycles first, instead of removing them immediately. MPTC Property Manager Xerus Koh said that this was because such situations are not always straightforward.  

Mr Koh recounted one situation: "We issued a notice and had it removed subsequently; the owner made a police report and claimed the Town Council wrongfully removed his bike. We showed him the photos we took, and tried to justify that it was an abandoned bicycle."
He added that the bicycle was also found in an inappropriate location, and that after removing it, the Town Council had also retained the bicycle for 30 days. Since the bicycle was not claimed after that, it was then disposed of, as with their usual procedures.

At the town centre along Circuit Road, some apparently abandoned bikes are chained to railings along a canal, their seats and chains spattered with green paint.

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A shopkeeper from a business nearby, Ms Alice Kong, said this happened because the railings received a coat of green paint some time ago, and the bicycles were not removed when the painting was done.

The canal and railings are managed by the national water agency PUB. MPTC said it only removes bicycles within its estates, and does not coordinate with agencies on this unless there is specific feedback from residents, or if the bicycles pose a danger.

In a joint response to 938LIVE, the Municipal Services Office and PUB said the site has since been inspected, and notices will be placed to instruct bicycle owners to remove them from the safety railings.

On why the bicycles were not removed before the paint job was carried out in the first place, PUB said it will "work with partner agencies, to get their contractors to inform PUB of any abandoned bicycles by the canal railings during their maintenance works".

However, it is a different story for the Tampines Town Council (TTC). Its Derelict Bicycle Removal Programme has been in place since 2010, the same year Tampines became Singapore's first bicycle town.

Under the programme, the Town Council carries out removals every six months, and it has removed more than 5,100 bicycles since 2012. It also conducts removals earlier if it sees an increase in the number of abandoned bicycles.

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Before a bicycle is removed, staff put up notices on potentially abandoned bicycles a week in advance. And to avoid complaints from residents, TTC also has a police officer to witness the removal.

The Town Council's Senior Property Manager John Yeo said there is also a system in place for coordination between agencies.

"When we come across bikes that do not fall under the Town Council's purview, we will assess the condition of the bikes. If it is brand new, we will serve a notice, but also inform the relevant authority. Otherwise we refer (it) to MSO straight away, so it cuts down the time spent looking for the relevant authorities," he said.

Meanwhile, the Marine Parade Town Council said it is reviewing its procedures on coordinating with different agencies, to see if it can improve the way in which abandoned bikes are dealt with.

Both town councils, however, say the public must also play their part in letting the authorities know when a bike has been left abandoned.

Source: 938LIVE/av