PM Lee Hsien Loong at start of works for Round Island Route & completion of first phase of Ang Mo Kio Walking and Cycling Town

Chinese 

大家早上好！

很高兴能和大家在一起。 今天，我们有两个理由聚在一起。 一个是宏茂桥模范步行与脚踏车市镇第一阶段工程的落成。 第二个理由是我们环岛绿道也快要开工了。 对宏茂桥的居民来说，比较重要的，当然是我们的宏茂桥模范步行与脚踏车市镇。

什么是“步行与脚踏车市镇”呢？ 就是在我们宏茂桥的行人道上开辟一道专门给脚踏车用的一条小路，方便脚踏车可以和汽车和巴士分开，有自己的一条路走。 这鼓励居民用脚踏车，不需要用电单车，或汽车。比较方便、健康、安全。

我们今天已经开了4公里的脚踏车道。 我们的计划是完成的时候，整个宏茂桥会有20公里的脚踏车道，方便居民、游客可以行动自由，轻松安全。 我刚才就沿着脚踏车道骑了一圈。 很清楚的 – 红色是脚踏车道。 靠左走、注意行人和注意其它的脚踏车，小心行驶。 四公里，我们花了20多分钟就骑完了。 

居民因该可以享用这脚踏车道。 刚才，我沿路上就见到一位年轻的妈妈，带着她的孩子来找我。 她说：“我特别来感谢你建这个脚踏车道”。 因为她以前不敢骑脚踏车的。 现在，有了脚踏车道，他买了一辆脚踏车，带孩子补习、上学，很方便。 健康，身体也比较好了。 同时，她也每个月省下80多块钱的车费。

所以，我们这么做是对居民有好处的，有意义的。 我们期望整个工程可以在2019年竣工。 我相信这个项目肯定会成功的。 成功之后，我们会在其它的市镇里这么做。 希望其它镇的居民也会支持这个计划，是我们可以成为一个更优雅、方便、环保和绿化的美丽城市。 感谢大家今天来到这里。 我看一些年纪比较大的可能不骑脚踏车。 但是也可以去走走路、散散步，享受一下我们优雅的环境。

谢谢各位。

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English

I am very happy to join all of you today for a cycling morning.

We have two events this morning. One is to start the works for the Round Island Route for the Park Connectors, which I did earlier, at Sengkang. Secondly, to mark the completion of the first phase of the Ang Mo Kio Model Walking and Cycling Town.

Two years ago, Ang Mo Kio volunteered to become a model town for walking and cycling, because many of our residents ride bicycles – to run errands around the neighbourhood, to go to the MRT station. If we can make it more convenient for them, it can lessen the pressure on them to own and drive cars, and it can make Singapore a car-lite society. 

So when MND and MOT had the idea of promoting bicycling in our New Towns, I put my hands up, discussed with my fellow MPs, and said, “Please, can Ang Mo Kio go first? “A” for “Ang Mo Kio”. Luckily they agreed, and today, we are opening the first phase of this Walking and Cycling Town.  

The cycling path is a loop, along Avenue 1, 3 and 8, altogether about four kilometres. It starts just behind the CC, underneath the MRT viaduct. You can recognise it because it is red, clearly-marked, it has been smoothed, convenient and easy to ride. It shows how we can make our New Towns better, more convenient, and safer. Even in a busy neighbourhood, we can carve out a little bit of space. Underneath the MRT viaduct, we now have a sheltered walking and cycling path. You have got some interesting things along the way too. Under the MRT line, there is also a very beautiful outdoor terrarium. It is a glass enclosure with plants inside, and light going in. The students from ITE College Central are helping to do some projects with it. This adds something to our neighbourhood – makes it interesting and something different. I think this is going to be a success. We will do this in other towns as well, so that we can encourage people to ride more on bicycles, need cars less, and also save money, become healthier and fitter.

I would like to thank all the people who have helped us with this project. HDB, LTA, NParks and URA all worked hard, together with the grassroots leaders. Also, the schools and organisations along the way. Because from time to time, the cycling path has to go into a little bit of the space which hat the schools, petrol kiosk or the other institutions are using. We have to talk to them to ask them to lend us the space, so that we can put a cycling path there. Happily, they have done that, and we are very grateful for them. 

When the project is completed in three years’ time, from the four kilometres, we are going to have 20 kilometres in Ang Mo Kio. We will be much better connected within Ang Mo Kio and also nearby, to Yio Chu Kang or Bishan.

I am happy that it has made progress. I hope the residents make full use of it and enjoy it. We will be able to do more, and make Singapore a car-lite city and a good place to live.

Thank you very much.