Cyclist Warns Of Drain Grate That Catches Bicycle Wheels Near Labrador Park, Authorities Investigating

Drain Grate Near Labrador Park Snags Bicycle Wheels, Matter Reported To LTA

Cyclists on the road have to worry about a great many threats to their safety. One bicycle rider found such a threat to be a drain grate of all things near Labrador Park.

On 20 Dec, Mr Terence Lee rode down Malan Road when his bike’s wheels ended up being caught in a gap between the slits of a drain grate.

He shared about the incident on his Facebook page Bike Guru and said he had alerted the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of the potential hazard.

LTA and the PUB are reportedly investigating the situation.

Bicycle wheels caught in drain grate

Shin Min Daily News reported that Mr Terence Lee was cycling with friends on 20 Dec when they encountered the hazard.

Along Malan Road, near Labrador Park MRT station, a downwards-sloping road led to a drain grate.

Rather problematically, the vertical slits in the grate proved wider than the wheels of the bicycle.

Thus, the bike got caught in the drain covering and Mr Lee almost took a harsh tumble. He told Shin Min that he fortunately stabilised himself with his feet and avoided the fall.

In the Facebook post, he further noted that the speed hump right before the drain blocked the sight of the cover. Moreover, since the drain ran across the width of the road, it could not be circumvented without riding on the sidewalk.

As such, it posed a safety hazard and could cause injuries due to falls. He used the Facebook post to warn other cyclists about this particular area.

LTA realigns drain covers

Nonetheless, Mr Lee devised a method for safely crossing the drain grating, which involved slowing down and crossing the hazard at a diagonal angle.

In a comment on the post, Mr Lee thanked one of his friends, who submitted a report to OneService.

On top of that, Mr Lee tagged West Coast GRC MP Rachel Ong in a separate comment, also mentioning that he had informed LTA of the drain.

Shin Min also reported Ms Ong’s statement that the LTA and PUB were following up on the matter.

By the morning of 29 Dec, the LTA and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) had placed a warning signage for other cyclists. The authorities had also realigned the space between the drain gratings.

Mr Lee thanked them for their immediate actions, but also suggested a horizontal drain cover instead, as narrow bike wheels could still end up caught in the vertical slits.

In 2023, a loose drain cover ended up badly scratching a car on Bartley Road Flyover, causing the driver to seek compensation.

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Featured image adapted from Bike Guru on Facebook and Facebook.