Police officers ticketed hundreds of illegally parked bike-owners and tackled illegal e-bikes in the New Territories in two separate operations this week

Police declared war on illegal bicycle parking in Sha Tin last Friday (13 September), giving over six hundred tickets and 14 court summonses for bicycle parking and riding offences.

With the aim of “enforcing laws against vehicles causing traffic congestion in the district”, the Sha Tin Police District Traffic Day dished out 612 tickets for bikes “parked continuously in the parking area for more than 24 hours” and other bicycle offences.

Under the Road Traffic Ordinance, it is illegal for a cyclist to park a bicycle in the same spot, for example on railings, for more than 24 hours. The same applies to all motor vehicles although rarely enforced.

Police said they will “continue to take relevant actions” and called on cyclists to abide by traffic regulations and pay attention to road safety.

Meanwhile a separate four-day operation in New Territories North starting last Thursday (12 September) saw police arrest 35 people aged between 18 and 83 for e-bike and e-mobility offences, with another 141 summonses dished out to regular-bicycle “violators” for careless riding, failure to obey traffic signals and cycling on the pavement.

Those arrested on e-mobility offences face charges of multiple offences including “driving an unregistered vehicle”, “driving without a valid driving licence”, “driving without insurance”, “driving without an approved protective helmet” and “driving on the pavement”.

All 35 electric bikes and scooters were seized.

Officers also distributed more than 300 “relevant leaflets” to residents in the district to educate them not to illegally drive electric mobility devices.

E-bikes and e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads, footpaths and cycle tracks.

Police say they do not maintain records on the total number of e-bike arrests made in Hong Kong to date.