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Can Hong Kong do something about those broken, dumped shared bikes?

  • Dockless bike companies should be held responsible for clearing up rusting, abandoned bicycles that can be found in rivers and on mountain sides

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A Gobee bike lies abandoned in Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, days after the bike-sharing company announced it was shutting down business in July. Photo: Nora Tam
In September, the Hong Kong government issued its Code of Practice for Automated Dockless Bicycle Rental Services, to which operators should comply by providing 24-hour communication channels and ensuring follow-up on relevant complaints.

However, anyone walking from Tung Chung to Tai O, exploring the countryside beyond the Nam Sang Wai Ferry, or living in Tseung Kwan O will be aware of how little is being done by dockless bike companies to adhere to the code.

They should be held responsible for clearing up broken and dumped bicycles which can be found in rivers and on mountain sides, often in surprisingly out of the way places. The biggest concern is the piles of Gobee bikes – unusable since that company went bankrupt – now rusting away. Could these be collected and given to people in need? Or at least recycled?

David Akast, North Point

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