Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, in the Legislative Council today (July 12):
Question:
According to the information of the Transport and Logistics Bureau, as at February 2023, there were a total of 38 563 motorcycle parking spaces in Hong Kong, but the number of licensed motorcycles was 74 815, making a ratio of only 0.52 parking space per licensed vehicle, whereas the ratio of private car parking spaces to licensed vehicles was 1.11. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it will increase the number of motorcycle parking spaces with the ratio of private car parking spaces to licensed vehicles as at the aforesaid date as the target; if not, of the reasons for that; and
(2) given that according to the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, additional parking spaces for motorcycles at the rate of 5 to 10 per cent of the total provision for private cars should be provided in non-residential developments, and there are views that the relevant standard has restricted the supply of motorcycle parking spaces, whether the Government will consider relaxing the standard concerned, so that private car parks can adjust the number of motorcycle parking spaces according to market demand?
Reply:
President,
It is the Government’s transport policy to centre on public transport with railway as the backbone. On the policy of provision of parking spaces, the Government aims to meet the parking demand of vehicles as far as possible (including the parking spaces of private cars (PCs) and motorcycles), but not to encourage frequent users of public transport to switch to PCs or motorcycles, so as to avoid aggravating the burden on road traffic.
Hong Kong enjoys a well-developed public transport network, and the Government encourages the public to make good use of the public transport services as far as possible. Nevertheless, the Government understands that some members of the public choose to commute by PCs or motorcycles for various reasons. Hence, the Government has been actively pursuing a host of short-term and medium-to-long-term measures to suitably increase the supply of parking spaces for PCs and motorcycles where circumstances permit, which include but are not limited to the following measures for motorcycles:
(a) Utilising the spaces underneath flyovers for designation as motorcycle parking spaces;
(b) Opening up more motorcycle parking spaces at government buildings for public use during non-office hours;
(c) Exploring suitable on-street locations for the provision of motorcycle parking spaces where traffic conditions permit;
(d) Providing motorcycle parking spaces for public use in suitable "Government, Institution or Community" facilities and public open space projects in accordance with the principle of "single site, multiple use"; and
(e) Providing motorcycle parking spaces in development projects in accordance with the parking standards under the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG).
After consulting the Transport Department (TD), we provide a reply to the question as follows:
(1) Over the past three years, the number of motorcycle parking spaces has been increasing with a view to improving its supply. While the Government will increase the supply of motorcycle parking spaces where circumstances permit, the space required for additional parking spaces must be considered alongside housing needs or other land use demands in the planning process, given that Hong Kong is a densely populated city with scarce land resources. Moreover, the demand for parking spaces is subject to change in light of many factors, such as household income, housing types, overall economic situation, and the demand and supply of local parking spaces. Setting a single target for motorcycle parking spaces therefore not only renders it inflexible to apply across the territory, but also unable to accurately reflect the actual situation of individual districts. Setting a rigid target for parking spaces, whether for PCs or motorcycles, may be interpreted as a social need to continuously increase the number of parking spaces to catch up with the growth of vehicles, and it may incentivise the use of PCs or motorcycles by more commuters, affecting the overall road traffic.
(2) The TD has been reviewing the current standards for motorcycle parking spaces in non-residential developments and residential developments under the HKPSG (Note: At present, the standard of motorcycle parking spaces for non-residential developments is at the rate of 5 to 10 per cent of the total provision for PCs. For residential developments, the HKPSG sets out different parking standards for subsidised housing and private housing according to the number of flats), and has made appropriate amendments having regard to factors such as the socio-economic situation and parking demand. Noting that the number of motorcycles has increased substantially in recent years, which is probably due to the upsurge of demands for meal delivery and courier services in a short period of time during the epidemic, the TD will keep in view whether the situation persists after the epidemic, and timely review the standard of motorcycle parking provision under the HKPSG for revision as necessary.
Ends/Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Issued at HKT 12:35