In Hong Kong, it is prohibited to cycle on a road if a cycle track is available, and there have been prosecutions for it.

Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations – Regulation 51, Additional rules for bicycles, tricycles and rickshaws

(5) Where a portion of aroad is set aside for bicycles or tricycles no person shall ride a bicycle or a tricycle on any other portion of the road.

If we compare the UK, the current version of the Highway Code says that:

Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

So does a ‘portion of the road’ mean only a cycle lane within the width of a road, or include a cycle track?

Many cycle tracks are popular with occasional cyclists, who are not always familiar with how to ride among faster traffic.  Indeed, government departments often seem to assume that this type of cyclist is typical.

There are a few prosecutions for not riding on a cycle track every year (5 in 2010, up from zero in each of the previous two years), however we believe that cyclists should be free to choose to use the road even if a cycle track is available.

**IMPORTANT: The above information is provided for reference only and should not be considered legal advice. The government BLIS legal database at www.legislation.gov.hk contains the full text of all Hong Kong laws. **