Ombudsman announces results of full investigation into mechanism regulating illegal bicycle parking caused by bicycle rental shops (with photos)
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The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (November 3) announced the completion of a full investigation into the mechanism regulating illegal bicycle parking caused by bicycle rental shops.
The Government addresses the problem of illegal bicycle parking by having member departments of the local Working Group on Tackling Illegal Bicycle Parking, which includes the District Office (DO) of the Home Affairs Department (HAD), the District Lands Office (DLO) of the Lands Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Transport Department (TD), exercise their respective powers under the law, depending on the location and condition of the bicycles, to conduct interdepartmental joint operations as necessary to remove bicycles illegally parked on government land in accordance with established procedures. Upon receiving complaints about illegal bicycle parking, the DLO, the FEHD, and the TD refer them to the DO for follow-up in accordance with the Working Group's guidelines on joint operations for clearing illegally parked bicycles (Operation Guidelines). Joint operations are carried out by the Working Group under the co-ordination of the relevant DO.
Mr Chan said, "The Office of The Ombudsman notes that some bicycle rental shops in Shatin persistently placed a large number of bicycles along the pedestrian walkways outside the shops (the Location), obstructing pedestrians and even posing safety concerns. The complainant notified HAD in May 2024, requesting that it take follow-up action in collaboration with other relevant departments, but the departments failed to properly address the illegal bicycle parking caused by the rental shops such that the problem persisted.
"The Office's investigation found that the Working Group had indeed established Operation Guidelines to address illegal bicycle parking, and its member departments had also exercised their powers under the law to conduct joint operations in accordance with these guidelines and established procedures. In response to the complaint, the Working Group carried out six joint operations between July 2024 and June 2025, during which nearly 1 000 statutory notices were posted and illegally parked bicycles were cleared. Following our inquiry, the Working Group specifically increased the frequency of joint operations at the Location from an average of once every two months to once a month, starting in June 2025. As a further step in addressing the problem, the Working Group identified and compiled a list of blackspots, and intensified joint operations at severely affected locations. Since August 2025, the DO has been installing signage at the blackspots within the District to remind shop operators and related parties to exercise self-discipline, raise law-abiding awareness, and comply with bicycle parking regulations.
"However, our investigation revealed that both before and after the joint operation, over 100 bicycles remained parked at the Location, indicating the persistent severity of illegal bicycle parking there. The improvement was short-lived during the enforcement period by the relevant departments, with the problem of illegal parking soon recurring," said Mr Chan.
"The Office considers the problem of illegal bicycle parking in Hong Kong has not been thoroughly resolved. The departments should further strengthen and implement the spirit of interdepartmental collaboration with the shared goal of addressing the issue seriously and genuinely. Regarding illegal bicycle parking, the Office has made 17 improvement recommendations for the Working Group. The Working Group has accepted all of them and will implement our recommendations."
The recommendations for improvement include:
• continue interdepartmental collaboration and closely monitor illegal bicycle parking;
• continue conducting large-scale joint operations at the Location at least once a month;
• consider increasing the frequency of reviews on the effectiveness of joint operations from a biannual to a quarterly or even monthly basis, and adjust enforcement strategies as needed;
• during routine patrols, promptly clear or at least prioritise the removal of illegally parked bicycles that severely obstruct pedestrian walkways or pose a danger to pedestrians;
• explore the introduction of innovative smart surveillance systems, including the pilot installation of AI-enabled cameras at the Location to identify illegally parked bicycles, with a view to enhancing enforcement effectiveness;
• consider increasing the number of bicycle parking places or expanding existing facilities near the Location to better accommodate the parking needs of the public and the rental shops;
• drawing on management practices for car parks, explore the feasibility of implementing double-deck parking racks at bicycle parking places; and
• enhance communication and consultations with shop operators at the Location, and also solicit their views and explore concrete and effective improvement measures to address illegal parking.
The full investigation report has been uploaded to the website of the Office of The Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.hk for public information.
Ends/Monday, November 3, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:00
Issued at HKT 11:00
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