The writer of “Installing bike racks on buses not practical” (Aug 18) is quick to dismiss the idea of bicycle racks in front of buses.

　　His main point about crowded roads as a reason for not installing such racks is unperceptive. If a car driver converts to taking the bus and cycling, there would be one less car on the road, hence less congestion.

　　There would always be the same number of peak-period commuters, including private car owners who take up more road space by driving than public transport users do.

　　In terms of timeliness and capacity, this would be for the transport operators to address; blaming the instrument itself is not going to tackle the root of the problem.

　　It used to be argued that having foldable bicycles on buses and trains took up space, so this has hitherto been restricted to off-peak hours.

　　I see bicycle racks helping to mitigate some of the inconvenience caused by allowing foldable bikes on buses.

　　Members of the public could also use the racks on the weekends to transport their bicycles to cycling activities, instead of going only by car or cycling from point to point.

　　Some metropolises in countries such as the United States and Australia have public buses fitted with bicycle racks, and this has gained traction in recent years, for example, in Melbourne.

　　Clearly, without any benefit, it would be radical to spend public monies and have bicycle racks on buses, even in those countries.

　　As commuter cultures differ from place to place, however, small trials would establish whether this suggestion is acceptable in Singapore.