[sustran] fwd: Singapore car free day April 14

Paul Barter geobpa at nus.edu.sg
Thu Mar 15 17:58:28 JST 2001


http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/storyprintfriendly/0,1887,29549-984607140,0
0.html?

The Straits Times interactive
Mar 14, 2001 

Do leave home without it
Singapore's first Car-Free Day aims to get motorists to be more eco-friendly
and to take public transport instead 

By Sharmilpal Kaur 

LEAVE your car at home and take a bus, the train, a bicycle or, simply,
walk.

It is a big call for car-loving Singaporeans, but that is what the Singapore
Environment Council (SEC) wants them to do for just one day.

Thursday, April 19, that is. That is when SEC is holding Singapore's first
Car-Free Day.

The event will also be held worldwide then.

Car-Free Day started in the US and Europe in the 1960s when several large
cities began to suffer from serious air pollution and congestion. 

Since then, it has grown so popular that certain roads in Europe are closed
on that day. 

SEC executive director Penelope Phoon said: 'This throws out a challenge to
car-loving Singaporeans to leave their cars behind for a day, to promote an
eco-friendly lifestyle.'

Mr Howard Shaw, SEC's senior manager, said: 'Resource-wise, cars are not
very efficient at all.'

The Environment Ministry is getting right behind the event, pledging that
its carparks will be empty on that day.

Mr Sidek Saniff, Senior Minister of State for the Environment, is leading by
example by going car-free that morning.

Acting Minister for the Environment Lim Swee Say will be out of town.

Companies will be encouraged to get their employees to leave their cars at
home.

The SEC will have a media blitz to promote the event. It will also place
posters on buses and hang banners at 120 locations. 

It has printed 17,000 TransitLink farecards to commemorate the event. 

The SEC will also work with the Singapore Sports Council to promote cycling
as an alternative to driving. 

While the SEC recognises that the battle will be an uphill one, the main aim
is to decrease dependence on cars while raising awareness of a greener
lifestyle.

Ms Phoon said: 'The main objective of the campaign is to drum up awareness,
in a bid to encourage people to switch to alternative modes of transport.

'We are looking at a 10-per-cent reduction in vehicle use on that day.'

The Land Transport Authority will monitor the number of cars going into the
city area and compare this figure with the usual number. The information
will help the SEC gauge the success of the event.

The Straits Times drew mixed reactions from the motorists interviewed.

Salesman David Chua, 42, said: 'In an ideal situation, that would be great.

'But I still drive because public transportation is still not convenient
enough. I also wonder if this one-day campaign will really have any effect
at all.'

But housewife Mala Reaghavan, 40, said: 'Yes, definitely, because that would
mean less pollution for the environment, even though it would be a little
more inconvenient for me.'

The event is part of Earth Day 2001 celebrations. Although April 19 is three
days before Earth Day, it was chosen because a weekday was a better time to
study the impact of having fewer cars.

Copyright © 2001 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. 
----------------

Forwarded for the purposes of education and research. 

Dr Paul Barter
Visiting Fellow
Department of Geography
National University of Singapore
1 Arts Link, Singapore 117570
Tel: +65-874 3860; Fax: +65-777 3091
E-mail: geobpa at nus.edu.sg
(I'm also known as A Rahman Paul Barter)



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