How Hong Kong can chart a cycle-friendly course

During the opening ceremony of Ride to Shine Hong Kong this month, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui challenged Hongkongers to cycle more than 1.2 million km – a distance equivalent to circling the Earth 30 times – to commemorate Hong Kong’s 30th anniversary of returning to China next year.Cycling is more than a trend and worth developing. Since the invention of the bicycle, it has been the most energy-efficient form of human-powered transport – including running or walking. Research suggests it takes less energy to cycle than to walk the same distance.Cycling advocates would cite at least three benefits of using bicycles as a mode of transport. Particularly in urban areas, if more people commuted by bicycle, we could significantly reduce road congestion, curb fuel consumption and improve our overall health. Cycling would also help countries take a giant leap towards the UN’s sustainability goal of reducing carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and reaching Net-zero Emissions by 2050.