Fiona Lau of Civic Exchange tries out the Social Distancing Machine, showing the lack of space for pedestrians in Hong Kong

Mobility activists took to the streets in a social distancing machine this morning, to highlight what they say is the unfair distribution of street space.

Led by Waltraut Ritter, of Knowledge Dialogues, and inspired by similar actions around the world, the group walked from Hollywood Road Park in Sheung Wan to Central. The device, which keeps the user at a “safe” 1.5 metre distance from others, showed that most pedestrian routes are unusable under this constraint, with obstacles such as illegally parked cars and street furniture compounding the difficulty of movement.

Waltraut Ritter, Knowledge Dialogues, demonstrating the difficulties of 1.5m “social distance” in Hong Kong

Even major Hong Kong roads, such as Des Voeux Road Central, proved difficult to navigate while keeping proper distance.

Watch the full Live Broadcast or check out our YouTube of the event!