Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong kicked off Car-Free Sunday SG on 27 November 2016 with trishaw rides around the Civic District by ferrying an elderly person from SASCO Senior Citizens’ Home. This community initiative enables the elderly to comfortably experience and enjoy the sights of our car-free Civic District.
Trishaw Rides to Be a Regular Feature
Participants can register for the trishaw rides between 8am and 10am on Car-Free Sunday, at the trishaw booth in front of National Gallery Singapore along St Andrew’s Road. Each registration will be for a 15-minute ride around the Civic District Loop. Participants can choose to get rides from volunteers to enjoy the sights of the city, or operate the trishaws personally to ferry their elderly family members or friends. Rides will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to those who are less mobile, like the elderly.
Other Community Activities to Enjoy
In addition to the usual Car-Free Sunday SG activities, more new community activities were introduced. In particular, Central Singapore CDC’s Farmers’ Market opened for business at Queen Elizabeth Walk, selling local and organic produce and complementing Car-Free Sunday SG as a healthy and wholesome activity.
The public participated in various arts and cultural activities, and explored the interactive installations put together by the National Gallery Singapore for its Light to Night Festival. There were also musical performances at National Gallery Singapore and Victoria Concert Hall for all to enjoy.
The opening up of the Telok Ayer conservation area added to the vibrancy of Car-Free Sunday SG. Besides enjoying breakfast in cafes (which opened earlier from 8am) and exploring the historic district, the public was also able to show off their talents or watch others perform on the open-mic stage.
The second series of Car-Free Sunday SG will run for at least six editions.
Car-Free Sunday SG is a community initiative by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Parks Board (NParks), National Arts Council (NAC), Health Promotion Board (HPB), and Sport Singapore (SportSG). This initiative is also supported by a host of community and interest groups to promote the car-lite message and to enliven the streets.
