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Cyclists remember dead riders across globe

Felix Chan

Mass rides in seven countries pay silent tribute to comrades killed on the road

Twenty cyclists ignored the bad weather and made a 90-minute journey last night to commemorate fellow riders killed on roads across the world.

The 'Ride of Silence' began in 2003 in the United States after the death of an endurance cyclist who was hit by the mirror of a bus.

Cyclists at more than 200 locations in seven countries marked the event yesterday.

The Hong Kong ride, from the clock tower next to Tsim Sha Tsui ferry terminal to Tai Kok Tsui, began at 7pm and was organised by the Hong Kong Cycling Alliance.

Alliance chairman Phil Holmes said he learned about the event from the web after racing cyclist Brendan Chiu Hsiu-hon, 38, was killed in November by a minibus in Sai Kung that had crossed a double white line to overtake.

It follows a similar ride by about 350 cyclists to commemorate Chiu shortly after his death.

'I contacted those people [other ride organisers] and posted the photograph of Brendan on the website. A few of us felt we could participate in that,' Mr Holmes said before the event.

'The ride itself will be nothing formal. There will be no applications and we are not going to make any noise - it is not a protest. It is just a ride to join with other cyclists around the world to commemorate those cyclists who have been killed on the roads.'

Last year, eight riders lost their lives on Hong Kong roads, they were among more than 1,400 recorded accidents involving cyclists, according to Transport Department figures.

Mr Holmes said low awareness of other road users, especially by truck drivers, and speeding vehicles were the two major threats facing cyclists. He said the situation had not been helped by a lack of co-operation from public transport operators in providing the facilities to enable cyclists to take their bikes around freely and the government's lukewarm response to the concept of making Hong Kong a cycling-friendly city.

Mr Holmes said the authorities ought to create a taskforce to investigate what it could do to promote cycling in Hong Kong.

'They often say in Hong Kong it is too congested and you can't fit cycle lanes in roads and so on. There is not a willingness to explore the possibility,' he said.

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