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.