By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Seoul City will close public parking lots and some streets in the city today as part of the city’s ``Car-Free Day,’’ an annual event to encourage residents to use public transport.
For the ``Car-Free Day,’’ a 2.8-kilometer stretch of road between Sejong Street and Heunginjimun and 1.3 kilometers of Cheonggyecheon Street will be blocked from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. with only buses permitted to travel there.
To encourage more people to participate in the campaign, the city government will offer citizens free bus and subway rides until 9 a.m. The city will increase bus and subway operations during commuting hours to accommodate more passengers.
It is not a compulsory event but those who want to drive their own cars will have to take detours and cope with limited parking space. Mayor Oh Se-hoon will take the bus to his office and promote the car-free campaign by joining in a bike parade from Seoul City Plaza to Bosingak.
The event will also feature street performances and an environmental photo exhibition as well as cultural activities. The city, which has some 3 million cars registered, is notorious for traffic congestion and air pollution.