Editorial | Make Hong Kong more bicycle-friendly
- The rise in use of bicycles during the pandemic has put the spotlight on safety and facilities. While the Hong Kong government has previously made improvements, the growing popularity of cycling makes the case for a review and strengthening of arrangements
The Covid-19 pandemic has made people more health conscious. With work, schooling and lifestyles curtailed by restrictions for more than a year, many have turned to outdoor recreation, as evidenced in the crowds along cycling tracks and in the countryside during weekends. While the city boasts the most beautiful and accessible hiking trails in the region, facilities for bikers still have room for improvement.
According to some vendors and online platforms, sales of bicycles have significantly increased during the epidemic. One outlet in Sheung Shui reported a 45 per cent rise in sales following school closures and the introduction of work-from-home arrangements in March last year.
Separately, the numbers of complaints and accidents related to cycling have also surged. There were 1,189 casualties on cycling tracks in the New Territories in 2020, up from 728 and 687 in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Complaints about the ancillary facilities of cycling tracks are also on the rise, up from 91 and 89 in 2018 and 2019 respectively to 113 last year.
The numbers are relatively small for a city with no fewer than 60,000 public bicycle parking spaces and 225 kilometres of tracks to pedal along. But they put the spotlight on safety and facilities as the popularity of cycling and other outdoor activities is rising.
Many amateur bike riders have not paid as much attention to road safety as they should. The police and relevant bodies have rightly stepped up public education late last year. The message must be more widely publicised.
Overseas, cycling activities continue to thrive despite lockdown. Ridership in some American cities is said to have increased threefold as a result. In Italy, residents who buy a vehicle without an engine can get subsidies under a cashback programme aimed at promoting cycling. Paris added hundreds of kilometres of pop-up cycle lanes along a street, while a bike lane is now available along Hyde Park in London.