Cyclists taking part in a protest bike ride in Wan Chai yesterday said the difficulties in getting to the demonstration venue highlighted the government's failure to safeguard their rights.
Protest organiser Phil Holmes described attempts to board a West Rail train when staff objected to him taking his fold-up bike into a carriage to travel to the demonstration.
'Eventually, I managed to get on the train by covering the bike in a plastic bag,' he said.
Mr Holmes, of the Hong Kong Cycling Alliance, said the incident highlighted why hundreds of cyclists took to the streets of Wan Chai yesterday to protest against what they see as unfair treatment by government departments and transport companies.
The cyclists want the government to co-operate with transport companies to ensure they can take their bikes on trains and ferries. They also want the government to push the idea that cyclists are 'legitimate road users' and to recognise the environmental and health benefits of cycling.
The catalyst for the protest, which police say was attended by 250 cyclists and organisers say attracted 350, was the death this month of racing cyclist Brendan Chiu Hsiu-hon, who was killed in a head-on collision with a mini-bus during a qualifying round for the Asian Cycling Championships in Sai Kung.
