The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that a new pump track has been added to the children’s cycling area in Flora Park, adding that the trial run will start tomorrow.
A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders “pumping”– generating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedalling or pushing, according to Wikipedia.
According to the IAM statement, the bureau aims to continue optimising the facilities in various parks and gardens. The statement said that last month the cycling/ scooter area and Flora Park’s Plant Maze reopened after revamping and optimisation. The statement added that the new addition to the park – the pump track– will also be open from tomorrow for a trial run.
The statement noted that Flora Park’s pump track is the first of its kind in Macau. The statement pointed out that the track is equipped with a circular curved wall and wavy slopes, adding that the track increases the fun and challenge of cycling.
The statement stressed that in order to use the track, the users’ bicycles or balance bikes (no pedal bikes) must meet the requirements of the venue, such as the diameter of the wheels must be between 30.48 millimetres and 55.8 millimetres, and the bicycles must have a rear brake system, or a front and rear brake system.
The statement said that the track is open for users aged between three and 12 with certain bike control skills. The statement noted that it is advisable that children are accompanied and supervised by an adult during the use of the track. The statement also said that users should have their own helmets and other safety protection equipment and wear them properly for safety reasons.
The statement noted that the track will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and users will need to queue on-site prior to entering the area. The statement also said that users may join the queue an unlimited number of times.
Chan Hoi Fong, who heads the Park Division of the bureau’s Green Areas and Garden Department, told reporters yesterday at a press conference in Flora Park that around 15 children will be allowed in the pump track area at the same time, while only one to three children could simultaneously be on the track.
Chan pointed out that prior to the trial run, the bureau invited the Macau Cycling Association to provide feedback, adding that the bureau also made adjustments according to users and other people’s opinions. He said that during yesterday’s test run, IAM officials realised that the queue was too close to the track. Therefore, they immediately moved it further away from the track.
Chan said that the trial run would go on for three months before officially being open to the general public. He added that it also depended on the feedback that users give to see whether to extend the trial run or shorten it.
When asked by reporters whether there will be a bicycle rental service for the facility, Chan said that for now the bureau had no plans to add a bike or helmet rental service.
For enquiries, residents can contact the bureau’s hotline on 2833 7676.
Chan Hoi Tong, who heads the Park Division of the Green Areas and Gardens Department of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), talks to reporters at Flora Park yesterday.
A girl rides her bikes on the newly added pump track with an adult supervising her in Flora Park yesterday. Photos: Prisca Tang
This undated handout photo provided by IAM yesterday shows the newly added pump track at the bicycle/ push scooter area for children in Flora Park.
