A 37-year-old Hong Kong woman has been arrested in connection with seven traffic-related offences after a photo of her riding an e-bicycle with two children on the pavement was posted online.
Police said on Friday that investigations revealed that the woman was allegedly driving the electric mobility device along the Ching Hiu Road pedestrian walkway in Sheung Shui in the New Territories on Tuesday.
The photo released by the force shows the woman, dressed in a cap, shorts and flip-flops, riding the white e-bicycle on the pavement.
A girl wearing what appears to be a school uniform and a backpack can be seen riding pillion, while a boy in shorts is sitting in front of the woman.
The force said it immediately launched a thorough investigation after it discovered the photo circulating online.
Officers from the New Territories North traffic apprehended the woman in Sheung Shui at around 12.20pm on Thursday.
She was detained for traffic-related offences, such as driving without a licence, riding an unregistered vehicle, driving a motorcycle on a pedestrian path, illegally carrying a passenger under the age of eight and riding without wearing a protective helmet.
The woman, released on bail pending further investigation, is required to report back to police next month.
Police stressed that “electric mobility devices should not be used on the same road as regular vehicles, nor should they be used on pedestrian paths or cycling tracks”.
They added that driving an electric mobility device without a vehicle registration licence violated the Road Traffic Ordinance and other regulations.
According to Hong Kong’s Road Traffic Ordinance, a mechanically or electrically propelled bicycle is classified as a motorised vehicle.
In Hong Kong, driving a powered device without a registration licence was punishable by up to 12 months in prison and a HK$10,000 fine.
Police said their enforcement action to combat the illegal use of electric mobility devices was ongoing.
Earlier this month, police arrested 75 people in two separate operations to crack down on the illegal use of e-bicycles and other electric mobility devices in the New Territories. Fifty-four e-bicycles and 21 e-scooters were seized during the operations.