Superfluous Street Funiture

Placing bollards or any hard object on the cycle path is not a good idea period. It is even more strange to see bollards protecting bollards! Where is the common sense of our Government and do they know the existence of this utter wasteful practice?

The so-called professionals who design and construct such items have obviously not thought thoroughly the outcome of such actions. What a waste of taxpayers money in erecting such structures.

Dangerous Bollard Mountings

Bollard mounts pose a danger to cyclists when the bollards themselves are vandalised or removed either unofficially or officially by engineering works.

As can been seen by the photos, the mounts can leave a dangerous rod protruding or a sharp edge when exposed. At least you will get a punctured inner tube but at most - could it puncture a cyclist's lung?

There are numerous frangible bollards on Hong Kong's cycle paths and a high number of them have either been felled, damaged or removed. Regardless of the reason, there is a potential danger created for cyclists plying the cycle tracks.

No normal cycling apparel or equipment will stop serious injury if you or your child fall onto one of these exposed bollard mounts.

The Hong Kong government are oblivious to the latent bombs they have planted all over the territory and it is going to take a death directly involving this problem before they consider taking action.

Bollards are traffic easing measures but they are all directed towards the cyclist. It seems to negate responsibility for pedestrians and motorists which is totally discriminatory.

The Government erect these bollards but they never regularly inspect or maintain them to safeguard the welfare of the cycling public.

Overuse of Bollards

The photo above is typical of most Hong Kong Cycle paths. It is the excessive use of frangible bollards which has become the bane of cyclists in the territory.

If you look closely the bollards have been added as an afterthought. The tarmac at the mounts are a different shade. Local residents at neighbouring apartments complained that cyclists were traveling too fast down the slope and causing a nuisance. Some say, they were added prior to local elections to boost votes for a resident candidate.

The Government's answer is plant hard objects on the cycle path in an attempt to slow cyclists down. They never consider the other side of the coin. Most pedestrians are in a dream-world when walking the sidewalks - they show little awareness of what is happening around them. It seems if they are void of any responsibility.

While I understand the concerns of pedestrians, they have too the responsibility also to watch out for cyclists and other vehicles before crossing all roads and paths. I also agree that cyclists should ride more responsibly in the vicinity of walkers.

In this case, painting road markings to instruct cyclists to slow down and be wary of pedestrians would have sufficed. There is no excuse for erecting a hard object on the cycle path which hinders the flow of cycle traffic and can potentially cause bodily harm. This shows the administration's lack of understanding of cyclists' needs and their lack of road safety education to the general public.

This example is not an isolated case, there are numerous others seen in each of Hong Kong's districts. These superfluous structures eat into the taxpayers coffers and the responsible department seldom monitor their structural integrity and safety for cyclists.