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SINGAPORE: Search the Internet for “Tuas Lamp Post 1” and you will find images of cyclists posing in front of a lamp post adorned with stickers.
Located about 13 km from the Tuas Checkpoint, this lamppost has become a popular spot for cyclists in recent years, leaving stickers to indicate that they have visited the westernmost points of Singapore.
However, photos that circulated on social media during Christmas last year showed workers removing dozens of stickers that had been pasted on the light pole.
But in a Facebook post on Thursday (Jan 7), Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that changes will be made. Calling it a “special lamppost”, Mr. Ong pointed out that many people were sad to see the stickers disappear.
“Urban folklore says that cyclists traveling around the island will make a pit stop there, where they will take photos with the lamppost and leave their favorite stickers,” said Ong.
“I have spoken with the Land Transportation Authority, who in turn has spoken with JTC. We decided to make an exception for this light pole, as it is a remote place and a special place to help cyclists find their way, ”he said.
“These are small exceptions to the rule, not causing a nuisance or a danger to public safety, to brighten life in Singapore,” he added, noting that he hoped to visit the light pole himself one day.
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Cycling advocate Francis Chu, 60, welcomed the minister’s announcement as an endorsement of one of the ways in which the cycling community spoke out here.
“It is a nice gesture from the authorities that they are willing to listen and be flexible when the situation allows it. The stickers collected on that remote light pole can be seen as a work of ‘community art’, co-created by cyclists and evolving over time, ”said the co-founder of enthusiast group LoveCyclingSG.
It was his friend, the other founder of LoveCyclingSG, who possibly put the first sticker on Tuas Lamp Post 1.
In June 2014, Woon Taiwoon and about 60 other people cycled from West Coast Park to the end of Tuas. The route began as an attempt to explore the island’s less frequented regions by bike, he said, describing the decision as his own “joyous” effort to recreate “Journey to the West,” referring to 16th-century Chinese. novel.
As a souvenir of the 50km journey, Woon, now 47, stuck a sticker on the light pole that day.
“After that, people started visiting that area more often,” he said, noting that it attracted not only cyclists but also motorcyclists and triathletes, among others.
One of those who has traveled to Tuas Lamp Post 1 is Sales Manager Eugene Beh, who in November last year traveled more than 156 km from Punggol to Tuas with three other members of the Punggol Coast Community Sports Club.
The 46-year-old said the group plans to ride the route again next month, after the Chinese New Year.
The light pole earned its reputation because riding a bike is a feat in itself, he said, noting that there is little shelter from the sun along the long path that leads to it.
“Trust me, it is difficult but not impossible. You have to ride a bike in a small group (or with a) partner for reasons of safety and motivation, ”he said.
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The sticking of stickers on Tuas Lamp Post 1 is an example of the organic development of local culture, Woon said, comparing the lamppost to bridges like the Ponte Milvio in Rome, where for years people placed padlocks as a symbol of love.
The stickers and landmark photography represent an “Instagrammable moment” for riders who want to celebrate their achievement, Woon said.
In other countries, such as South Korea, agencies issue “bicycle passports,” which cyclists traveling on certain routes can obtain stamps as a souvenir of their trip, he said.
Although he has come across some netizens who claim that allowing stickers to be affixed to the lamppost is an endorsement of vandalism, most appeared to welcome the move, Woon said.
“I am very grateful that the minister is sensitive to this, because I think he is also showing the maturity of our culture,” he said.
