In April, the bike-sharing start-up Gobee.bike services was launched with 1,000 bicycles for hire on cycling tracks in the New Territories, including Sha Tin and Tai Po.
Some people responded very positively and hoped bike-hiring services would eventually expand to all 18 districts in Hong Kong. However, I think we have to look realistically at bike-sharing apps and their potential in a city like Hong Kong.
Firms launching such a service could face limitations. One of these is the lack of cycling facilities in many areas of the city, especially busy urban areas like Mong Kok and Central. The roads there are designed for public transport, vans and cars, and cyclists would have to share the road with them.
However, these roads are already busy. If a lot of cyclists took to the roads as well in these downtown areas, this would exacerbate traffic congestion and could cause problems, especially during rush hours. We could see a lot of bicycles parked illegally in public spaces causing congestion.
Gobee.bike is designed for recreation and this is how most people look at cycling in Hong Kong.
They will take the MTR or catch a bus when commuting to and from work, not get on their bike, because it would be so time-consuming.