Pedal Power

Agrowing number of people in Hong Kong believe the way forward for the city is on two wheels. Bikes, they point out, are more efficient, cheaper and less demanding on our pressured land resources than cars. Most importantly, they’re healthier, both for individual riders and the general public.

According to Albert Lai, founding chairman of the Hong Kong People’s Council for Sustainable Development, recent projections show that increasing the proportion of non-motorized trips to work from the current 12 percent to 24 percent would reduce roadside pollution by about 13 percent. In addition to such immediate environmental benefits, public “rent a bike” schemes could also provide plenty of green jobs, thus helping us transition towards the “green economy” touted in the financial secretary’s budget speech this year.

Yet compared with most world cities, Hong Kong remains notoriously biker-unfriendly. Despite the fact that the majority of people here are not car owners, our roads and urban planning revolve entirely around motor vehicles. While other cities give cyclists right of way, the local Road Users’ Code demands that cyclists give way to motorists at all times.

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