Roll-out of HK$5m anti-terrorism bollards in Causeway Bay draws mixed reactions

The installation of anti-ram bollards costing HK$5 million (US$637,230) has begun at a busy crossing in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay to prevent vehicles from mounting crowded pavements, sparking debate over whether the safety barriers justify the price tag.

By Wednesday afternoon, workers had installed four fixed bollards along the pavement outside the landmark Sogo department store in the busy shopping district, while construction continued on the ground behind temporary barriers.

Officials said the bollards and crash barriers were aimed at providing a physical barrier against vehicles deliberately mounting pedestrian areas, as vehicle-ramming attacks had been identified as a “long-standing risk” in Causeway Bay, a major commercial and tourist district.