I am one of the 'millions of hikers' that the Agriculture and Fisheries Department (AFD) is protecting from a small but vociferous lobby of mountain bikers. It has my heartfelt thanks and support.
I happen to have a strong desire to progress on foot through the country tracks, without having to leave the path to make room for charging bikers. Richard Barton-Smith (Sunday Morning Post, November 23) must have been severely tongue-in-cheek when he talked of bikers stopping and waiting until walkers have passed. The opposite has invariably been my experience.
I also happen to believe that many tracks are quite unsuitable for biking, because their restricted width and steep drops simply do not allow a bike and a hiker to pass. Almost all tracks have such elements within their length, and the AFD has everyone's interests at heart in being selective in what tracks are opened. It is also somewhat misleading of Mr Barton-Smith to say that bikers cause no more path problems than hikers. Bikes are ridden over earth steps thus breaking the edge, where hikers would step. The particular form of damage is evident in Plover Cove Country Park from Ha Miu Tin onward. It results in smooth slopes, difficult to walk on, which form channels that contribute to erosion.
I continue to be amused by the arguments produced by the bike lobby.
That Hong Kong will not have an Olympic entrant in this very recent of Olympic sports, is surely not a matter of concern. There are many sports where much larger countries do not feel the need to be represented.
The cry of the mountain biker, is akin to the cry of that other well-heeled species, the sports car owner. I have the equipment, it cost a lot of money, I think that it is fun, you must let me use it. The AFD's measured response to this cry is commendable.
