Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):

Question:

     The Transport Strategy Blueprint proposes developing a tiered cycle track network in new development areas (NDAs) with "arterial cycle tracks" and "local cycle tracks" that connect transport hubs with community centres. The Government proposed in 2008 the development of the New Territories Cycle Track Network to link up cycle tracks in the eastern and western New Territories, and has in recent years constructed shared paths along the waterfront promenades on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island and a GreenWay in the Kai Tak Development Area for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists, with a view to enhancing connectivity of open spaces in the areas concerned. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of public bicycle parking spaces managed by the Government in each district in the past five years, with a breakdown by type, such as double-deck, 1-up-1-down and inverted-U bicycle parking racks;

(2) of the number of accidents involving bicycles in each of the past five years, with a breakdown by location of occurrence (including cycle tracks, carriageways, shared paths or the GreenWay) and by severity;

(3) of the respective numbers and lengths of (i) cycle tracks and (ii) GreenWay or shared paths that the Government plans to construct in the coming five years, as well as the number of public bicycle parking spaces;

(4) whether the authorities have plans to connect the shared path at the harbourfront promenade between Central and Wan Chai to those at the East Coast Boardwalk along the waterfront promenades on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, and to construct shared paths at other sections of the Round-the-Island Trail; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(5) given that the cycle track between Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun of the New Territories Cycle Track Network is being implemented in phases, while the section between Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan Bayview Garden is still under planning, of the latest progress and timetable of the project, and whether it will study adopting the GreenWay approach in designing the section in order to reduce construction costs; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(6) whether the authorities will, in planning and designing the cycle track network in NDAs of the Northern Metropolis (NM), give priority to adopting the GreenWay approach in designing "local cycle tracks", so as to make more effective use of limited road space; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(7) whether the authorities will, for NDAs in the future NM, study developing through a public-private partnership mode with bike-sharing companies and private developers a green travel network for shared bicycles, which can accommodate both bicycles and electric mobility devices (e.g. electric bicycles and electric scooters) at the same time, and reserve sufficient land for the construction of parking spaces and charging facilities, so as to manage bicycles in the areas more effectively and reduce problems such as illegal parking and abandonment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President, 

     It is the Government's policy to foster a bicycle friendly environment, where road safety and circumstances permit, by constructing cycle tracks and ancillary facilities in new development areas (NDAs) and new towns as well as improving existing facilities, with a view to facilitating the public use of bicycles for leisure, recreation or short-distance commuting purposes.

     In consultation with the Development Bureau (DEVB) and other relevant departments, my reply to the questions raised by the Hon Chan is as follows:

(1) The breakdown in numbers of public bicycle parking spaces managed by government departments (including the Transport Department (TD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Harbour Office of the DEVB, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Housing Department) in the past five years are tabulated at Annex 1.

(2) The figures of traffic accidents involving bicycles in the past five years are set out at Annex 2.

(3) The Government will construct cycle tracks of approximately 60 kilometres in length, and about 15 000 public bicycle parking spaces in major NDAs and new towns in the coming five years. Furthermore, the East Coast Park Precinct (the Precinct) in North Point under construction will provide a Shared Path of approximately 680 metres in length, which will seamlessly connect to the existing Shared Path at the East Coast Boardwalk of about 2.2 kilometres long. About 50 public bicycle parking spaces will also be provided within the Precinct in phases starting from 2027 to facilitate visitors to the harbourfront. As regards the GreenWay in Kai Tak Development Area, its development will dovetail with the implementation programme of projects in the area, with about 2 kilometres of GreenWay sections and about 40 public bicycle parking spaces expected to be implemented and opened progressively in the coming five years.

(4) Managed by the DEVB, Shared Path adopts the concept of shared space for pedestrians and cyclists, thereby more effectively utilising the open space and waterfront in the area, promoting the integration of cycling routes with the surrounding environment, and enhancing the continuity of the waterfront. Currently, two sections of the Shared Path have been opened along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, namely the one located at East Coast Boardwalk in North Point (approximately 2.2 kilometres long and 6 metres wide) and the other at Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section) to the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade (approximately 1 kilometre long and 6 metres wide). To ensure a good experience for all users and minimise the risk of conflicts, the DEVB recommends that the Shared Path should have a width of no less than 6 metres and be built on relatively flat sections. Except for the 680-metre extension at the Precinct in North Point as mentioned in the response to Part 3, most of the harbourfront sections between the above two sections of Shared Path are less than 4 metres wide and are therefore unsuitable for use as a Shared Path. As regards the other sections of the "Round-the-Island Trail" (the Trail), the terrains surrounding the waterfronts and walking paths of the Trail outside the area of the Victoria Harbour are relatively steep mostly and significantly constrained by existing developments. For example, the waterfront section near Chung Hom Kok in the Southern District is steep and also falls within the Coastal Protection Area. The Government will continue to prioritise linking up the missing pedestrian walkways or hiking trails for providing a seamless walking experience along the Trail. As to implement Shared Path in other areas, it will depend on considerations such as the environment and constraints of individual sites, usage patterns, and district-specific factors.

(5) The Government is committed to ensuring that its expenditure on infrastructure works remains at a financially sustainable level and will continuously review the priority of works projects under planning for effective use of public resources. The cycle track section between Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun under the New Territories Cycle Track Network (NTCTN) project is currently not the project under the top priority. The Government will review its implementation timetable at suitable juncture.

     NTCTN provides a cycle track connecting the east and west of the New Territories mainly for leisure and recreation purposes. At the same time, it facilitates short-distance commuting by cycling with a relatively higher cycling speed. The NTCTN adopts the design to separate the pedestrian and cycling networks to ensure the safety of road users. In order to maintain the consistency of the NTCTN, it is recommended to adopt the same design for the cycle track section between Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun.

(6) and (7) When planning the new development areas (NDAs) of the Northern Metropolis (NM), we will provide a comprehensive network for pedestrians and cycling, with the vision of connecting the cycling networks between NDAs and with the cycling networks in other parts of the New Territories. By then, the cycle tracks in the NM could be used for daily commuting instead of mostly for leisure use. In view of the relatively higher cycling speed, there is a need to separate the pedestrian and cycling networks for safety reasons. In addition, with ample space available in the NM, there will not be too many planning constraints for separating the two systems. Summing up the reasons above, we will not recommend to prioritise the shared path design model in the NM.

     Having considered electric mobility devices (EMDs) are becoming increasingly popular around the world, and they can serve as commuting means for short-distance travel and first-mile/last-mile connectivity to and from railway stations and stops, the Government is exploring amendments to the laws with a view to introducing regulatory arrangements to enable the safe use of EMDs, and offering the public with more safe travel options. In planning the cycle track network in the above NDAs, the Government will also consider the application of these devices, so that the cycle tracks can accommodate the safe use of both bicycles and EMDs.

     Regarding supporting facilities, the Government will make use of the land and space in the NDAs of the NM to increase the number of bicycle parking spaces and other supporting facilities. These include incorporating bicycle parking spaces as ancillary facilities in land use and providing sufficient bicycle parking spaces at suitable sites, having regard to the needs of the corresponding land use. Such parking spaces will also be suitable for power-assisted pedal cycles. As for EMDs of smaller size (such as motorised skateboards), we have drawn reference from the practices of other cities, and will encourage the provision of storage facilities at suitable locations (such as at the Transport Interchange Hubs) to facilitate the use of EMDs by the public for connecting journeys.

     As regards the operation mode of shared bicycles, it is a kind of bicycle rental services. The cycle track network and ancillary facilities in the NM are suitable for all bicycles, including shared bicycles. The TD has established a Code of Practice for Automated Dockless Bicycle Rental Services (CoP) for providing guidance to operators with a view to facilitating members of the public to use bicycles for leisure and short-distance commuting. The CoP requires the operators to operate in responsible, self-regulatory and sustainable manners in new towns and NDAs, and to implement various measures, including the use of Geofence technology in their mobile applications to mark no-parking areas for guiding users to park their bicycles properly, and the clear display of complaint hotlines on their bicycles to facilitate the public to report illegal parking cases for operators' prompt handling. The Government will update the CoP in due course in accordance with various factors such as the development of NDAs, public needs and acceptability, and the development of EMDs under the new regulatory framework, with a view to promoting the self-regulatory and sustainable development of the relevant rental service operation in the future.

Ends/Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:18

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