Cycling continues to gain traction (單車越來越受歡迎). There are more bicycle shops. Brands from banks to shampoo use bicycles in their advertising to demonstrate an active lifestyle. Colorful bikes with funny names are now everywhere in the city. They can be rented for a few dollars. And the rental company will take care of the hassle of maintenance, fixing lights and repairing tires.
Government plans to complete 100 projects in 2018 to improve cycle tracks (單車徑)and parking facilities(單車泊位)in new towns. But the use of bicycles as a transport mode in (older) urban areas(市區)is not encouraged. Cycling safety is a prime concern. Transport Department explains that we must take into account that Hong Kong is a densely populated city. Government will experiment carefully. For example, it will allow soon bicycles to share the Kwun Tong promenade with pedestrians.
But not all is equal. People who use bicycles to go to and from the new MTR stations are forced to park illegally. There are no bicycle racks. When asked, Transport Department explains that the “policy is to not encourage the use of bicycles as a transport mode in the urban areas”.
We responded pointing out that parking facilities should be added where people are already using bicycles to connect between a MTR station and home or work. Because extending the catchment area of stations by making walking and cycling easier(營造行人及單車友善環境)supports another Government policy: To have more people use public transport – and rail - as their main mode of transport.