Signs everywhere in Peng Chau about no electric bikes or scooters. Still, one or two people ride them to the ferry, bring them on the ferry, and then from the ferry pier to work. The one person who does it regularly on my ferry seems pretty safe, doesn't run people down in crowded areas, and on Peng Chau where there is enough space I don't know why it's an issue as there are tons of electric wheelchairs zooming all over the place (Peng Chau, island of old people...).
There are basically electric motorcycle replacements that do those speeds, but not the little Xiaomi/Ninebot scooters. Anything going faster than say 30km/hr that is more or less the max speed most cyclists will hit, should probably require a motorcycle license, but I don't see how an electric motorcycle is significantly more dangerous than a gas-powered one, which is legal here, beyond potential maybe acceleration.Original Post Deleted
Wasn't the last study on cycling in Hong Kong commissioned last century?
https://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en...clingstudy.pdf
Obviously nothing has changed in the 20 years
A few month ago I saw some sort of police paper with what's allowed and what not, can't find it now. It's certainly illegal, and there is no fixed penalty. So most likely you will get prosecuted and a judge will give you the fine. Only thing allowed are electric wheelchairs.
Last edited by flameproof; 15-03-2020 at 03:27 PM.
You are looking at this from the viewpoint of a competent cyclist- you would not be the problem. Given the general lack of spatial awareness of people our city, I am not surprised they are banned. I can be standing beside a wall with a few inches gap and and empty pavement beside me and invariably someone will try and squeeze between me and the wall. Someone on an scooter would aim for the same 'gap'. Watch people get on hire bikes in Tai Mei Tuk or Sha Tin and meander away. If these were allowed on pavements it would be mayhem. Roads much worse!
I do think electric vehicles are great but for most people here a competency test, training and insurance would be needed.
I would suggest that HK Roads would need a lot of capacity for cars taken away to give to bikes
https://peopleforbikes.org/wp-conten...tersection.jpg
40km/hr not on the pavement.... and they clearly can't join the traffic.... I think Singapore scooter community demonstrated how the die like flies when they get on the road....
25km/hr on some pavements... but at 25km/hr + handle bars and a small wheel you will people smashing their skulls into the ground.... maybe mortality drops to 1 in 10000 vehicles/year.... maybe.
Our HK Electric Unicycle Regulation Group core idea is that we have zones, congested pavements require to pass a pretty serious skill test which I think many would fail....
These include riding a sub 3km/hr and be able to merge with pedestrian flows, breaking distance (a fatter rider needs fatter breaks), vehicle inspection for weight, being able to demonstrate they can take evasive manouvers and not hurt anyone.... It would take training and actually watching videos.... Presently there is little in terms of training and safety materials so we are having to write everything. We are starting a train the trainers program and also a free training programs for both those that have never ridden and who presently ride to.
BIke lanes are dangerous, and NYC 18 people died in them because both cars and pedestrians just walk into them. They are total disaster grants completely cluesless people that right to meander side to side and cause accidents. We don't have the road space, we don't have the town planning. It would take decades to have a road network worth using...
The other big issue is that bikes, ebikes, scooters, electric unicycles all have different cruising speeds. The speed differences would make them very ussafe, and we would have lots of injured people, far more than in NYC.
People look too much at the negatives while ignoring the benefits...
If it was me, I'd make a law that all personal electric vehicles must be speed limited to 25km/h... I have a scooter that can do 45km/h and I've done that once in an empty basketball court... it's insane.
People will get injured, crashed into... just like everything else... on the other hand, it might get people out of their cars... it would help lower income folks have independent transport... Hong Kong will get left behind on this.
Plenty of evidence shows that mixed usage roads are safer because people are more alert to the unexpected.
I am a car driver and I honestly believe that cars should be speed limited... could have a tag on the windscreen that allows a higher speed on the highway... 30km/h off and 80km/h on... sounds radical?
Mark my words, fast forward 10 or 15 years and most vehicles will be electric and able to be managed remotely...