香港無所不在的欄杆，究竟有幾多？｜A closer look: Hong Kong’s endless pedestrian railings
有沒有發現，最近出街的步行路線，好像比往時彈性、多了選擇？這年來，香港街道風景有點不一樣，鬧巿的欄杆明顯地少了，交通意外倒好像沒聽說因此大幅增加，難道這是個契機改變一直以來的街道設施規劃？
在討論這件吉事之前，我們不如先認識一下這個香港人看來不太喜歡的設施：
總長度近1500公里
2010年，香港的欄杆總長度約730公里，但8年後的數字已大增一倍，2018年，總長度共有1500公里。1500公里有多長？若把所有欄杆拔起、一字排開，欄杆可以從香港一直延伸至韓國﹗[1]
負責部門不止一個
欄杆屬於哪個部門負責？這得看你指的欄杆豎立在何處。若欄杆在公園裏，這很大可能屬於康文署管理；在郊野公園的話，則可能由漁護署負責。至於街道上的欄杆，一般來說由運輸署和路政署分工：運輸署負責評估和決定哪個地段需要加設或拆除欄杆，而路政署則負責執行欄杆安裝。[2]
欄杆何價
不同款式的欄杆所用的材料不一樣，例如有用鍍鋅軟鋼、不鏽鋼等，成本也有分別。一般來說，政府每安裝一米欄杆，約要耗費300元，其後每年的維修費約400元。根據傳媒綜合政府資料，損毀公物的人須向政府作出賠償，當中每米欄杆的賠償額為400元。[3]
壽命7年
欄杆壽命視乎所用的物料和使用的環境，一般來說，欄杆的使用期為7至15年。
打橫打直有分別
近年香港街道上最常見的欄杆有兩款，一款打直、一款打橫。打直的一款，鐵欄編排較密，間距約為10厘米，主要為防止行人及物件跌出車路； 打橫的一款，常見於路口、過路設施附近，鐵欄間距有30厘米，作用是讓行車司機能望穿欄杆，確保沒有行人衝出車路。[4]
欄杆不防撞？
欄杆的功能，主要為保障行人安全，但欄杆並沒有防撞度嗎？根據運輸署的說法，行人路的欄杆，並不是防撞欄，功能主要是控制人流、防止行人跌出車路。[5]
A closer look: Hong Kong’s endless pedestrian railings
Hong Kong’s urban landscape has been in the remaking since last year – have you noticed that some sidewalks in our bustling streets seem more open and flexible to walk through? The disappearance of pedestrian railings, surprisingly, was not accompanied with a surge in traffic accidents or vehicle-pedestrian collisions. Can we take this as an opportunity to rethink local street planning? Let’s take a closer look at our railings to get a better understanding of this common utility.
1500 km of pedestrian barricades
Hong Kong’s pedestrian railings have been proliferating in the recent decade. In 2018, there were a total length of 1500 km of metal fences all over the city, doubling the number in 2010. If all the fences were being lined up in a straight line, it could be extended all the way from Hong Kong to Korea!
Who put up these railings?
Who is responsible for all these railings? It depends on the location of the railing. If the railing is in a park, it is likely that it belongs to the Leisure and Culture Service Department, while the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is responsible for those in country parks. If you see railings along the roadside, they are the joint effort of two government departments. The Transport Department would first evaluate and decide where should the railings be put up, while the Highways Department would be responsible for the installation of the railings.
The costs
Depending on materials and design, the costs of pedestrian railings varies. A 1-meter railing would normally cost $300 to install, and $400 annually to maintain. According to the media source, anyone who has damaged the railings will be fined $400 per meter.
Lifespan
Under normal circumstances, metal railings can be used for 7-15 years, depending on the use of materials and where they are placed.
Horizontal VS Vertical bars
There are currently two common types of railings on the streets in Hong Kong, one with vertical bars and one with horizontal bars. The railing type with vertical bars is denser, with the bars spacing about 10cm apart, mainly to prevent pedestrians or objects from falling onto the vehicular road. On the other hand, the railing type with horizontal bars is typically located near the pedestrian crossings, with wider spaces between bars (~30cm) to allow drivers to view through the railing, giving them sight of whether any pedestrian is crossing the road.
Railings are not crash cushions
As the Transport Department stated, the pedestrian railings alongside Hong Kong cannot act as crash cushions when traffic accident happens. The primary function of such facilities is segregating pedestrians and vehicles, keeping people from crossing outside the pedestrian sidewalk.
註 Note:
[1] https://www.metropop.com.hk/%E6%AC%84%E6%9D%86%E7%94%A8%E9%80%94%E7%9F%A5%E5%A4%9A%E5%95%B2
https://zolimacitymag.com/grey-metal-fences-are-taking-over-hong-kong/
[3] https://www.hk01.com/%E7%AA%81%E7%99%BC/58500/%E5%85%AC%E7%89%A9%E4%BD%95%E5%83%B9-%E6%92%9E%E6%AF%80%E9%81%93%E8%B7%AF%E8%A8%AD%E6%96%BD%E5%90%84%E5%8D%80%E8%B3%A0%E5%84%9F%E5%83%B9%E4%B8%8D%E5%90%8C-%E8%BB%8A%E4%B8%BB%E6%9C%80%E9%AB%98%E6%9B%BE%E8%B3%A040%E8%90%AC
[5] https://hk.lifestyle.appledaily.com/lifestyle/realtime/article/20170622/56857991
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