Following is a question by Dr the Hon Priscilla Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (March 17):
Question:
It has been reported that there was an increase in the number of people cycling for leisure and delivering takeaway food amid the rampant Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic in Hong Kong last year. There are often takeaway food couriers cycling in urban areas on roads in the opposite direction of the traffic or on pavements, causing dangerous situations frequently. As shown in the information of the Transport Department, the number of traffic accidents involving bicycles rose from 1 942 and 1 839 in 2018 and 2019 respectively to 2 947 in 2020. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the casualties caused by traffic accidents involving bicycles in each of the past three years and since January this year; among such accidents, the respective numbers of those which (i) occurred on cycle tracks and (ii) involved cycle takeaway food couriers;
(2) of the number of summonses (with a breakdown by the type of contraventions) issued by the Government in each of the past three years and since January this year to cyclists who had violated the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) and, among them, the number of those issued during territory-wide safe cycling enforcement operations;
(3) whether the Police stepped up efforts last year to combat unlawful acts of cycling on pavements in urban areas; if so, of the number of prosecutions instituted; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) of the work on promoting cycling safety carried out by the Government since 2018, and its details (including the number of promotional activities, the number of participants and the expenditure); whether, in response to the increase in the number of people cycling, it has formulated new strategies for promoting cycling safety (e.g. collaborating with takeaway food delivery platforms to strengthen efforts to publicise cycling safety among takeaway food couriers, and stepping up, on holidays at popular cycling locations, publicity on cycling safety among members of the public); if so, of the details?
Reply:
President,
The Government attaches great importance to cycling safety and has been closely monitoring the relevant situation. Our reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) The numbers of casualties of traffic accidents involving cycling (Note) were 1 869, 1 799, 2 822 and 525 respectively in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 (January and February). Among them, 728, 687, 1 264 and 228 were involved in accidents occurring on cycle tracks respectively. The Government does not have breakdown figures of cycling accidents on cycle takeaway food couriers.
(2) and (3) The numbers of enforcement cases undertaken by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) against cycling contraventions were 5 631, 2 350 and 4 018 in 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. The enforcement figures since January 2021 are still under compilation. The Government does not have breakdown figures as requested in the question.
(4) The Government adopts an inter-departmental and multi-agency collaboration approach to enhance safety for cyclists and road users. Under this approach, efforts are made in three areas, namely effective enforcement, public engagement (including publicity and education) and enhancement of ancillary facilities for existing cycle tracks.
On effective enforcement, cycling safety is one of the HKPF's Selected Traffic Enforcement Priorities. Besides stepping up law enforcement against cycling contraventions, the HKPF will review its relevant strategies from time to time, striving to raise public awareness of cycling safety and reduce traffic accidents.
On public engagement, the Transport Department (TD) has been working with the Road Safety Council and the HKPF to organise diversified publicity and education activities on road safety. In view of the increase in cycling accidents last year, the HKPF held a cycling safety press conference in collaboration with the TD, the Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) and the Cycling Association of Hong Kong, China at the end of last year. In the press conference, the findings of a focus study conducted by the HKPF on cycling accidents involving fatalities and serious injuries in the first three quarters of last year, the data on cycling accidents and the first aid services provided by the AMS on cycle tracks were released to the public. The public were also reminded not to overstretch themselves, and that they should take sufficient safety measures when riding bicycles and maintain an "attentive, patient and law-abiding" attitude at all times. In addition, the HKPF will continue to visit various community centres, fast food shops, bicycle rental shops, cycling clubs, automobile associations and driving centres, etc. to promote the message of safe cycling and remind drivers to pay attention to cyclists on the road while driving.
On enhancement of ancillary facilities for cycle tracks, when it comes to the planning and design of cycle tracks, the Government makes reference to relevant guidelines and duly considers the factors of curvature, gradient, width, sightline and continuity, etc. to minimise the need for cyclists to dismount while crossing road junctions and vehicular accesses, and provides appropriate traffic signs, road markings and facilities for ensuring cycling safety. Moreover, the Government has been replacing metal speed reducing bollards with plastic ones at appropriate locations of cycle tracks throughout the territory to minimise accidental injuries to cyclists, and providing new bicycle parking areas at appropriate places.
Note: The number of casualties for January and February 2021 was a provisional figure.
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