Government removes 11,000 illegally parked bikes in Hong Kong and may wheel out new regulations
Authorities to look into how other cities handle public parking for bikes
Government operations removed about 11,000 illegally parked bikes in Hong Kong in the past year, including 146 operated by sharing services, lawmakers were told on Wednesday.
It came as Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan peddled the possibility of tighter regulations on bike-sharing services in the future.
“We [would not rule out] further regulations on ‘bicycle-sharing’ if necessary, but need to ensure it is pragmatic and viable and will not violate the principle of fair competition,” Chan said, adding the government would look into how other cities handled public parking for bikes.
Between October 1 last year and September 30 this year, a total of 458 joint operations were conducted by various government departments in a bid to remove illegally parked bikes.
Chan said the operations had shown “some deterrent effects”.
Parking has been a problem for bike-sharing operators in the city since such services were first rolled out in April. Complaints of social nuisance were filed by residents after riders left bikes in undesignated areas without facing any consequences.