A 1 km stretch of harbour will feature Hong Kong Island’s first bike track, a new shared space with promenade pedestrians, with a bike rental kiosk at either end

Harbourfront visitors will be able to cycle from Central to Wan Chai with a range of rental bicycles under a new government scheme launching at the end of August.

According to documents shared with the Central & Western District Council, the scheme will offer 30 rental bicycles, ranging from adult bikes to children’s tricycles and balance bikes, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bicycles must be booked through a special app and can be picked up or dropped off at “Bicycle Stations” at either end of a 1 km harbourfront stretch between Central Piers and the Exhibition Centre.

The time limit for each booking is one hour and each app account can book one adult and one child bike per day. There will be 15 adult bicycles, six children’s bicycles, three children’s bicycles with stabilisers, three balance bikes and three toddler tricycles.

“We are preparing the website and the mobile app and they will be ready by the end of August,” says a Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman cautioned the “cycle track” shouldn’t be imagined as a “New Territories cycle track” and would not be segregated, but would be marked.

Plans show the track would be more like a shared space for pedestrians and bicycle users, with a blue line indicating cycling is permitted along that promenade. Although humble, this would be the first marked bicycle lane on Hong Kong Island.

Transit Jam is waiting for confirmation on whether other bicycles can be ridden on the shared space and which parts of the harbourfront promenade between Kennedy Town and Causeway Bay will permit bicycle use.

The scheme was commissioned by CEDD and is run by consultant Atkins. CEDD would not disclose the contract details.

Free bikes can be booked through the app, available around the end of the month