A cycling lobby group's proposal for a cycleway along Hong Kong Island's north shore yesterday encountered opposition after some members of the Harbourfront Commission raised concerns about its safety.
Questions were raised when the Hong Kong Cycling Alliance presented its proposal to the commission for a 16-kilometre harbourfront cycleway that would stretch from Kennedy Town in the west to Heng Fa Chuen in the east.
Commission member Peter Cookson-Smith, of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, wondered whether it would be safe for pedestrians and cyclists to share the cycleway. He said pedestrians and cyclists would be competing for space and that cyclists might pose a safety hazard, especially to children.
'The key is compatibility,' he said. 'Nothing should happen to compromise pedestrian access and comfort.'
Alliance member Sylvester Wong said the cycleway should be for leisurely rather than fast cycling.
'We're not looking to create a fast racing path, but a variety of experiences on and off the bike,' he said, adding that cycling speeds would be kept down to accommodate pedestrians. However, both sides agreed that if the cycleway was built, cyclists and pedestrians should not be segregated. Most cycling paths in the New Territories are separated from pedestrians. As a result, cycling there has become a mode of transportation rather than a leisure pursuit.