Many Singaporeans not aware of World Car-Free Day initiative

Ng Lian Cheong Channel NewsAsia 22 Sep 10;

SINGAPORE : Wednesday marks World Car-Free Day - an initiative aimed at getting people to cycle, walk or take public transport instead of their car.

However, many Singaporeans were not aware of the initiative or its purpose. But Jennifer Oh, a 41-year-old financial consultant, was all for the initiative. She ditched her car and hopped onto her bicycle to get to work on Wednesday.

She may have taken an hour to reach her workplace instead of the usual 20 minutes, but she was glad to have done her part to save the earth.

She hopes more drivers will give way to cyclists.

Jennifer Oh said: "The main thing is that drivers are not very friendly with cyclists. They believe that cyclists are actually in their way. But I think the situation has improved a little bit and I would hope there would be more cycling lanes on the road."

She intends to keep up with the habit and cycle to work at least once a week.

- CNA/al

In Singapore: Hundreds leave cars at home
Goh Chin Lian Straits Times 23 Sep 10;

FINANCIAL adviser Jennifer Oh left her 1.3-litre Fiat Punto at home yesterday morning and cycled to work instead, to mark international Car-Free Day.

She left her four-room flat in Tampines at 6.15am, breezed along the streets of Bedok, Kaki Bukit, MacPherson, Little India and Bras Basah, and reached her office at Fuji Xerox Towers in Tanjong Pagar at about 7.30am.

'I've always thought of cycling at least once a week to work, but I haven't been able to make it,' said Miss Oh, 47, who has driven to work for at least 15 years.

She thinks cycling to work is possible on days when she has no appointments outside the city area. But on some days, she needs to drive to meet clients in places such as Jurong, Sembawang and Yishun.

Miss Oh was one of more than 200 people who signed up with the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) to leave their cars at home yesterday. Nine in 10 participants were AAS members.

Document equipment provider Fuji Xerox Singapore also adopted Car-Free Day in a separate campaign, which had more than 200 employees and customers signing up.

Car-Free Day, which began in the 1950s and was marked mainly in the United States, is now observed worldwide on Sept 22, including in China, Austria, Canada and New Zealand.

The campaign was introduced in Singapore by the Singapore Environment Council in 2001, but abandoned two years later when it found that, among other things, motorists did not want to give up their car after spending so much money on it.

The AAS told The Straits Times it revived the campaign this year to promote environmental consciousness.

Miss Oh said yesterday's ride was pleasant. She did not mind that her office does not have shower facilities, and simply brought along a towel to wipe herself.

'I don't really perspire that much,' she added.

She was due to cycle again later in the afternoon, this time to Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Bishan for a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.

'It's my little contribution to reducing my carbon footprint,' she said.