Sunday, October 11, 2009

registration of bicycles




i came across this bicycle with a registration plate outside 7th mile bukit timah food centre. it is indeed rare to see a bicycle with a registration plate on our road. with the recent spate of bicycle thefts, some people have been clamouring for the re-introduction of mandatory registration of bicycles.

this was the ministry of transport response:

as to whether we should re-introduce mandatory registration of bicycles, the ministry of transport is of the view that such a move would not only be regressive but unnecessarily subject bicycle owners to onerous requirements. bicycles have been exempted from registration requirements since 1982 as they are increasingly used for recreational purposes rather than as a mode of transport. developed countries like uk, japan, usa, eu countries, australia and new zealand also do not require bicycles to be registered.

developed countries like those mentioned also have many cases of stolen bicycles?



quiz question:


when the british were around, registration was compulsory. however, the bicycle number plate did not have the word 'singapore'. what were the letters that preceded the number on the plate?

9 comments:

Victor said...

Honest wild guess this time - 'SS' for 'Straits Settlement'?

peter said...

"Malaya"?

PChew said...

In the 1950s it was M.C.S.

Lam Chun See said...

Oh yeah. Now I remember that bicycles in the old days have a registration plate. I do recall the headlight and the dynamo though. Next time I go to Beauty World, which is quite near my house, I shall look out for this bike. Where should I look?

yg said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
PChew said...

M.C.S. stands for Municipal Council of Singapore. Maybe after Singapore became a City in colonial time, the bicycle registration could be C.C.S for City Council of Singapore.

phototrekker said...

In addition to the registration plate, a number was engraved onto the frame of the bicycle if I remember correctly. It was probably the bicycle's registration number. Is that correct?

yg said...

phototrekker, this engraving on the frame, we have to check with mr chew. he has a fantastic memory of things in the past.

PChew said...

Yes, engraving bicycle regn no. on the bicycle frame is correct.
Actually the number were embossed on the bicycle frame digit by digit until the whole number was completed.