Car-free residential area to be piloted in Kampong Bugis

Sumita D/O Sreedharan Today Online 11 Oct 13;

Singapore — A car-free residential area is set to be piloted in Kampong Bugis, near the Kallang River, as the land-transport network gets redesigned to be more pedestrian-friendly.

The project, revealed in the updated Land Transport Master Plan that was released on Monday, is aimed at making public spaces flourish and the city area more vibrant.

This will mean more space along the sidewalks and streets for pedestrians and various activities.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on the project, although no timeline has been offered.

Kampong Bugis is a 500m road that is located behind the former Kallang Gasworks, which vacated the area in 1998. It is a 10-minute walk from Kallang Road that ends at the Kallang River. Currently, there are few developments in the area, which is dominated by greenery.

The entire Kallang Riverside has been earmarked in the URA Master Plan 2008 as a growth area. Under the plan, the area will add about 300,000 sq m of new office space, 700 housing units incorporated into mixed-use developments and 3,000 hotel rooms.

When contacted, the LTA referred queries to the URA, which declined comment.

There are now two car-free zones — Club Street and Haji Lane — which are within selected commercial and historical areas, where traffic is closed for two to three evenings every week to provide more space for walking.

There are also areas such as Albert Mall, where roads were made fully accessible to pedestrians only by 1998.

The current Upper Aljunied Road will also be pedestrianised when it is replaced by a new road which will be built within the upcoming Bidadari estate.

Tenants at TURE — one of four buildings near the Kampong Bugis area — said they were unaware of the authorities’ plans. However, they hoped the current laid-back and serene atmosphere could be maintained even after redevelopment.

Due to the area’s inaccessibility, some tenants suggested that the authorities look into building covered or underground walkways in the area, or providing bicycle-rental facilities at the nearby Kallang and Lavender MRT stations.

Currently, those going to Kampong Bugis tend to drive there.

“If they (the authorities) want to try it out, they could start during weekends or public holidays, and have visible booths where staff (can) collect feedback before it (the pilot project) is extended fully,” said tenant Wendy Tee, who operates a playschool at TURE.

Analysts told TODAY the waterfront location already makes the Kampong Bugis area attractive, and making it car-free could cause it to be even more distinct.

Mr Colin Tan, Director and Head of Consultancy and Research at Suntec Real Estate Consultants, said the scenic river setting could complement the development of the Sports Hub, making it a potential new tourist attraction.

He also suggested linking the area to the hub to enhance its accessibility.

Mr Chris Koh from property firm Chris International cautioned that the area could lose some of its charm if there was too much development.

“The authorities should strive to preserve its laid-back kampong style,” he said.