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Taipei's annual car-free campaign starts its engines

Taipei's annual "car-free day" kicked off in Taipei yesterday with an academic seminar on environmental protection.

The symposium at the Taipei World Trade Center focused on sustainable modes of transportation and low-pollution transportation technology. Hundreds of academics and experts attended the seminar.

The Taipei City Government said it has for the first time this year prepared five days of environmentally friendly activities from yesterday to Tuesday in tune with an international car-free day program that originated in Europe.

In the past, the city government only organized single-day activities, which municipal officials said had failed to draw an enthusiastic response from citizens.

"This year, we have extended the program to a four-day event in reference to the European Mobility Week project," a city government spokesman said, adding that Taipei residents are welcome to jog, roller skate or cycle down parts of Jenai and Hsinyi roads, usually reserved for vehicles, tomorrow as part of car-free-day activities.

According to the spokesman, the city government will block traffic on Jenai and Hsinyi roads between 8:30am and 9:30am this Sunday so that residents can bike, roller skate, jog or even walk down two of downtown Taipei's most beautiful boulevards.

"Roller skaters and joggers are invited to start from the square in front of the city government building, move along Jenai Road to the south Chingfu gate before returning and continuing along Hsinyi Road to experience a quieter and more leisurely paced Taipei," the spokesman said.

He added that between 9am and 5pm tomorrow, the roads surrounding Taipei City Hall will also be subject to traffic controls that will ban private vehicles from en-tering so that Taipei residents can experience a city without cars, if only briefly.

In the cordoned-off areas, the spokesman said, there will be music and theater performances, extreme bicycling demonstrations, street artist performances, a float parade, a gathering of baseball fans, as well as outdoor cafes and a raffle.

Noting that the car-free-day program aims to cut the use of private vehicles to help improve the environment, the spokesman said there will be 100 bicycles offered at the Taipei City Government station of the mass rapid transit for free rental. Interested residents may visit www.dot.taipei.gov.tw/ch/web/carfree92/ for further information.

On Monday, which is to be dubbed "mass rapid transit day," all top-level and second-level city government officials, including the mayor, will leave their cars at home and will instead take the bus or MRT. Moreover, Tuesday will be designated as "walk to school day," with pupils from six selected elementary schools in Taipei City walking to and from school as part of the activity.

"We hope the expanded car-free day activities will enhance local citizens' health consciousness and inspire them to contribute more to environmental protection," the spokesman said.
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