Cycling as a sustainable transport : is Hong Kong ready?

Motorized transport modes have caused many transport problems. There is an increasing concern about the importance of sustainable transport. Cycling has been widely recognized as a sustainable transport in many European countries. However, although cycling is one of the major transport modes in many new towns, the role of cycling is still only be regarded as a recreational activity in Hong Kong. The significance of utility cycling, especially the use of bicycle for education trips, has been undervalued. Therefore, this study aims to address on the importance of utility cycling to children and to increase cycle use among school children in new towns. Through carrying out an interview survey at the new town which has the highest cycle use, major obstacles to promote cycling to school have been found. As most of them are related to psychological barriers, the use of traditional approach which is infrastructural measure may not be effective. Non-infrastructural measures, so-called as ‘soft measures’, are proved to be useful to encourage more children to cycle to school. With reference to foreign experience, it is found that a coordinated approach involving many different parties is the success to promote utility cycling. This dissertation concludes by giving out recommendations on how each party could make use of soft measures to promote cycling as an alternative transport for school children in new towns. Although this study cannot reflect the whole picture of utility cycling, it could stimulate more interest for further research on the development of cycling in Hong Kong.published_or_final_versionTransport Policy and PlanningMasterMaster of Arts in Transport Policy and Plannin