(From left) Quah, Ng, event executive Por Wing Xing and Wong showing the section of China Street which will be closed to traffic starting this Sunday.

THE area involved in George Town’s Car-Free Day will be expanded to include part of another street and an additional 200m along Beach Street from this Sunday.

Part of China Street has been included while the stretch along Beach Street to be closed to cars will now be 1km between the Union Street junction and the Market Street junction.

The Car-Free Day, rebranded as Occupy Beach Street 2.0, already involves 800m of Beach Street from the Union Street junction to the China Street junction, Church Street Ghaut, and the stretches of Church Street and Bishop Street between Beach Street and Penang Street.

The stretch of China Street to be closed is also between Beach Street and Penang Street.

With the additional areas, the total length of the streets involved is increased from 1.68km to 2.1km. They will be closed from 7am to 1pm every Sunday for the event.

Today Lifestyle Marketing managing director Jack Wong said the China Street stretch would be closed to accommodate sports activities such as cycling, roller blading or roller skating.

He also said new elements would be incorporated into the programme.

“We will focus on different activities each Sunday. The first week will feature fitness activities, a pet carnival on the second, book exchange on the third and various awareness programmes on the fourth,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Today Lifestyle is the organiser of Occupy Beach Street 2.0, which is endorsed by the state government and Penang Island City Council (MBPP).

Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik said the MBPP had informed traders operating along the additional stretches of the expanded road closure.

“The new addition will be on a three-month trial run. The public can get back to us if there is any inconvenience caused by the move,” he added.

“We have done the necessary studies and believe it is adaptable,” Ng said, adding that the Car-Free Day had been a successful programme so far.

For details or to provide feedback, call Ewe (012-4306661), Aleex (012-4959192) or the MBPP Engineering Department (04-2592020).