Following is a question by the Hon Dennis Kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (February 8):
 
Question:
 
     In recent years, the Government has been fostering a "bicycle-friendly environment" in new towns and new development areas by providing facilities such as cycle tracks and cycle parking spaces. However, some members of the public have criticised the Government for failing to implement a similar policy in urban areas, rendering them unable to use bicycles as a mode of transport in urban areas. The Government has all along indicated that urban areas are generally having heavier traffic with limited land and many vehicles, it is therefore difficult to find suitable land for providing such facilities in urban areas. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether any legislation is currently in place to affirm and safeguard the right of cyclists to use the roads; if so, of the details; if not, whether the authorities will consider enacting the relevant legislation;
 
(2) of the number of cycle parking spaces currently available across the territory and their locations (and set out the figures by District Council district); if such information is unavailable, of the reasons for that;
 
(3) as some cyclists have pointed out that the conditions such as potholes, cracks or unevenness that have been found on quite a number of road surfaces have posed danger to them and other road users, of the authorities' policy or measures in place for inspecting and repairing road surfaces on a regular basis;
 
(4) whether the authorities will step up publicity and education to remind motorists to respect cyclists' right to the shared use of roads (except on expressways or in tunnel areas); if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(5) whether the authorities will incorporate the driving skills and safety knowledge required for the shared use of roads with cyclists into the contents of the examination for driving licences; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(6) whether the authorities will conduct a feasibility study on constructing cycle tracks and priority roads for bicycles in urban areas; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(7) whether the authorities will require the Urban Renewal Authority to reserve space for providing cycle parking spaces and expanding roads for constructing cycle tracks when carrying out district-based redevelopment projects; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(8) as the authorities have indicated for several times in recent years that they would control the number of vehicles (especially that of private vehicles) in order to ease traffic congestion and improve air quality, whether the authorities will promote bicycles as a mode of transport at the same time when controlling the growth of the number of vehicles; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the various parts of the Hon Dennis Kwok's question is as follows.
 
(1) Pursuant to the Road Traffic Ordinance (RTO) (Cap. 374), a "vehicle" means any vehicle whether or not mechanically propelled which is constructed or adapted for use on roads, but does not include a vehicle of the North-west Railway (i.e. Light Rail) or a tram. A bicycle is categorised as a "vehicle" and can be ridden on carriageways. However, owing to road safety considerations, certain sections of carriageways, such as expressways and government tunnels, are currently designated as zones where cycling is prohibited.
 
     The RTO and its subsidiary legislation also contain regulations applicable to cyclists, such as offences relating to cycling recklessly, carelessly or when under the influence of drink or drugs, and the requirements to show white light at the front of a bicycle and red light at the rear during the hours of darkness or in poor visibility conditions.
 
     Thus, same as other motorists, cyclists have the right to use the roads as well as the obligation to abide by the relevant legislation.
 
(2) There are currently some 57 700 public bicycle parking spaces in the territory. A breakdown of the parking spaces by district is set out in detail at the Annex.
 
(3) The Highways Department (HyD) is responsible for the maintenance of public roads and associated facilities (including cycle tracks), and conducts regular inspections and carries out maintenance works of various scales. To keep the road surfaces in a serviceable and safe condition, HyD will conduct regular inspections to trunk roads weekly; other roads once every one to three months; cycle tracks of public roads weekly to once every three months depending on the locations and traffic flow. HyD also conducts detailed inspections for all road types (including cycle tracks) once every six months to check the surface and structural conditions of the roads and to collect data for planning and prioritising the respective road maintenance works such that they can be done in an organised manner for preventive purpose.
 
     On receipt of reports concerning road defects and damage or identification of any road defects in regular inspections, HyD will arrange appropriate maintenance works in a timely manner to rectify the road defects so as to ensure the safety of road users.
       
(4) The Government attaches great importance to cycling safety. The Transport Department (TD) and the Police have been working closely with the Road Safety Council to promote the message of mutual respect among motorists and cyclists through publicity and education. For example, we have produced announcements in the public interests for both television and radio, a set of educational videos entitled "Safe Cycling: Rules and Tips", and the Road Safety Bulletin promotional publication, etc. All these serve to remind motorists to respect the rights of cyclists to the shared use of roads, and that motorists and cyclists should give way to one another so as to avoid traffic accidents.
 
(5) At present, the written test component of the driving test required for the application for a driving licence is set based on the Road Users' Code (the Code). The Code covers knowledge about traffic and road safety. Chapter 5 of the Code, "For All Drivers", already provides instructions for motorists on how to show consideration for the safety of other road users (including pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) when driving. As regards the road test component, candidates are required to observe road traffic conditions during the test, and when encountering cyclists, to take into consideration their safety and drive appropriately.
 
(6) The traffic in urban areas of Hong Kong is generally very heavy, with narrow and crowded roads. On-street loading and unloading activities are frequent, with many vehicles passing by and needing to stop temporarily. Owing to road safety considerations, the Government does not encourage the public to use bicycles as a mode of transport in urban areas.
       
     Moreover, given the relatively limited road space in urban areas in general, if dedicated cycle lanes are to be designated on the road space, the existing walkways or carriageways will need to be narrowed, inevitably bringing inconvenience to other road users or aggravating road traffic congestions, and easily causing traffic accidents. Allowing a large number of bicycles to share the busy roads in urban areas with other vehicles without dedicated cycle tracks will also increase the risks of accidents.
 
     In view of the above, the Government currently does not have plans to designate priority lanes for bicycles in urban areas.
 
     As for new development in urban areas, the Government will consider introducing cycle track networks in potential projects during the planning stage. For instance, the Government is carrying out a large-scale urban development project at the former Kai Tak Airport. According to the Kai Tak Outline Zoning Plan, a cycle track network of about 6.6 kilometres in length within the Kai Tak Development (KTD) has been planned. In response to public aspiration for wider coverage of the cycle track network in KTD for leisure and recreation purposes as well, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) in 2014 reviewed the cycle track network and proposed extending the network to about 13 km by making use of the public open spaces. CEDD commenced a feasibility study in November 2015 for completion in mid-2017 to review the proposed cycle track network, its ancillary facilities including rental and parking provision, operation and management framework and implementation strategies.
 
     In addition, when planning the development of harbourfront areas, the Government will also carefully consider the feasibility of constructing cycle tracks. Where circumstances allow, the Government will provide cycle tracks and related facilities for the public to use bicycles for recreational or short-distance commuting purposes. The Urban Design Study for the New Central Harbourfront completed by the Planning Department (PlanD) in 2011 recommended the Government to consider providing a cycle track in the permanent waterfront promenade under planning at the new Central harbourfront subject to detailed assessment. Separately, in the Stage 2 Public Engagement conducted between June and August 2016 on the Urban Design Study for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas, PlanD recommended in the proposed Master Layout Plan to reserve space for constructing a cycle track for leisure purpose including ancillary facilities for a bicycle-rental system. As for the proposed boardwalk of two km underneath the Island Eastern Corridor from Oil Street in North Point to Hoi Yu Street in Quarry Bay, cycle track, cycle renting kiosk and bicycle parking facilities are also proposed to be provided on the boardwalk. In taking forward long-term developments, the Government will carefully consider the feasibility of further studies for the provision of cycle tracks.
 
(7) According to the Development Bureau, Chapter 8 of Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) covers standards and guidelines for cycle tracks and bicycle parking areas. The purpose of HKPSG is to provide for general guidelines, and flexible application should be adopted based on the special circumstances of individual projects, including those by the Urban Renewal Authority. As regards road widening, the Urban Renewal Authority has all along followed the overall planning by relevant Government departments (e.g. TD or HyD).
 
(8) The Government attaches great importance to alleviating road traffic congestion, and will adopt a multi-pronged approach, taking forward progressively the series of recommendations by the Transport Advisory Committee in its earlier Report on Study of Road Traffic Congestion in Hong Kong, including exploring measures to control vehicle growth (in particular of private cars).
 
     The Government's transport policy is based on public transport and aims to reduce reliance on private cars. At the same time, we endeavour to foster a green community by promoting cycling and walking for short-distance commuting, facilitating the public to travel between public transport stations and living places or offices for "first mile" and "last mile" short-distance connection, thus minimising the need for mechanised transport over short distance.
 
     Apart from actively taking forward the "Walk in HK" programme announced by the Transport and Housing Bureau in January this year to encourage people to walk more, we will continue to foster a "bicycle-friendly environment" in new towns and new development areas, including improving existing cycle tracks and bicycle parking facilities, and enhancing publicity and education on cycling safety. We will also study how to assist organisations in operating self-financing community bicycle rental services on a non-profit making basis.

Ends/Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:30

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