‘Better to be a dog’: Hong Kong lawmakers call for women-only areas on transport

Lawmakers have criticised the government’s reluctance to introduce women-only areas on trains and buses in Hong Kong, questioning why they are not given the same privileges as those offered under a special travel scheme made for pets.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung dismissed the idea of establishing designated zones for men and women on Hong Kong’s public transport system during a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, citing potential disruption to operations.

In response to a question from lawmaker Ambrose Lam San-keung, who inquired about setting up such zones to prevent sexual harassment, Tang said that designated compartments would present challenges to passenger flow management on train services.

He added that implementing such zones on buses was not viable due to the smaller size of the vehicles, which would affect boarding and alighting efficiency.

According to Tang, police received 141 reports of sexual assaults or indecent filming on public transport premises, such as compartments and stations, in the first five months of this year.

This accounted for 14 per cent of all cases reported in such locations.