Bike parking areas, generally often called “bone spots,” have all the time been in brief provide, resulting in frequent circumstances of overcrowding. Many bikes are pressured to park in again alleys or on pedestrian paths. At the moment, [Your Company Name] explores the extreme scarcity of motorbike parking areas in Hong Kong and its causes, and recommends 3 apps to assist bike riders discover parking spots extra simply.
Bike Parking Difficulties: 3 Important Causes
1. Excessive Demand and Low Provide
The first motive for the issue to find bike parking is the inadequate variety of parking areas. As of February 2023, Hong Kong had 74,815 licensed bikes however solely 38,563 bike parking areas, with solely 11,654 of those being roadside spots. The ratio of motorbike parking areas to licensed autos is simply 0.52, in comparison with 1.11 for personal automobile parking areas, indicating a big shortfall.
2. Deserted Autos Decreasing Area Availability
Bike parking spots are free, which has led to many bikes occupying areas for prolonged intervals. In line with the Highway Site visitors (Parking) Rules, anybody who parks a automobile in a parking spot for greater than 24 hours is committing an offense, with a most fantastic of HK$2,000. Sadly, many bikes, together with these with expired licenses, are left deserted in parking spots. Dealing with these long-parked bikes is cumbersome, because the police sometimes use chalk marks to point the parking spot and solely problem a ticket after confirming the automobile has not moved inside 24 hours.
3. Lack of Hourly Bike Parking in Personal Heaps
In line with authorities paperwork, non-public parking tons provide over 20,000 bike areas, however most can be found solely on a month-to-month rental foundation. There are only a few non-public tons providing hourly rental for bikes, and a few even prohibit bikes from getting into for short-term parking. Consequently, discovering an hourly parking spot is difficult, making bike riders really feel like “rats crossing the road.”
Authorities Measures to Enhance Bike Parking
To deal with the scarcity of motorbike parking areas, the Transport and Logistics Bureau has proposed the next measures:
- Make the most of house below elevated bridges to create bike parking spots.
- Open extra authorities constructing parking areas to the general public throughout non-office hours.
- Discover appropriate roadside areas for bike parking, relying on visitors situations.
- Apply the precept of “a number of makes use of for one location” to supply public bike parking in appropriate authorities, institutional, or neighborhood amenities and public leisure areas.
- Implement laws to mandate the deregistration of deserted autos.
The Lands Division is gathering proof associated to deserted bikes, together with data from the Transport Division and different needed data. After consulting with the Division of Justice, it could think about prosecution in circumstances with adequate proof to strengthen deterrence towards unlawful abandonment.
Moreover, the Transport Division plans to amend laws to optimize automobile registration and licensing. It’s proposed that automobile house owners should renew the license for registered autos which have been unlicensed for over two years, dismantle or completely take away such autos from Hong Kong, or apply for an exemption. This new regulation is predicted to be applied in 2024 after the required amendments and system enhancements.
3 Really useful Bike Parking Apps
1. Google Maps
Most smartphones include Google Maps pre-installed. Merely seek for “bike parking” on Google Maps to view close by parking spots. The app’s road view and navigation options make it simple to make use of.
2. MotoPark
MotoPark exhibits each bike parking spots and parking tons, together with their areas, charges, and phone numbers. It additionally supplies photographs of the parking tons and navigation, which is useful for riders unfamiliar with the realm. Moreover, it presents real-time visitors updates, fast snapshots, and fuel station areas.
3. Hong Kong Journey Straightforward
This app lets you seek for roadside bike parking spots by road title. You possibly can simplify the map show by filtering out different automobile varieties, making it simpler for riders to view obtainable parking areas.
