Road closures for F1 race
cut to 7 days this year
Channel NewsAsia - Thursday,
April 9
SINGAPORE: Road closures within
the Formula One circuit will be cut from the extensive 12 days last
year to seven days this year.
While speed demons were on a high
during last year’s inaugural night race, some businesses within the
F1 circuit found themselves left out of the party as extensive road
closures before and after the race put the brakes on
spending.
With more experience this time
round, government agencies — Singapore Tourism Board and Land
Transport Authority — and race organiser Singapore GP said they
will shorten the road closure period to improve the
situation.
They will start with single—lane
closures the Saturday before Race Day weekend which is from 25—27
September.
Full road closures will kick in
two days before Race Day weekend, instead of six days previously.
Access during peak hours remains.
Roads will be reopened two days
after the race, by 5pm Tuesday instead of 4pm.
But more needs to be done to help
improve bottomlines.
STB’s assistant chief executive
(international group) and director for F1, Leong Yue Kheong, said:
"With reduction in road closures, impact to shop owners,
stakeholders and people who operate businesses in the area will
already be significantly reduced.
"Second thing (which) we have
already started doing in the last few weeks. We have moved around,
engaging stakeholders in and around Marina Circuit...Our idea is to
share with them our plans and listen to them in terms of potential
initiatives and collaborations....to jointly promote and drive
business to the area."
Some ideas include having a F1
display car in one of the malls and organising F1 driver autograph
sessions.
The STB is also looking to improve
signages for pedestrians.
But for places like the Esplanade,
which lost $750,000 last year as its venue could not be used for
commercial bookings during the race period, takings will still be
affected.
This year, it has already lost one
long running production with a fixed touring schedule.
One improvement the arts venue
hopes to see this time is enhanced public awareness of
accessibility to the area.
But besides keeping businesses and
people flowing locally, organisers also need to pull in the tourist
numbers.
Like last year, STB has set twin
targets of $100m in tourism receipts with at least 40 per cent of
spectators from overseas.
However, unlike last year, it is a
very different and very challenging economic environment this
year.
Singapore GP says it is spreading
its wings further this time around.
Colin Syn, Singapore GP’s deputy
chairman, said: "We still haven’t done road shows to various
countries which we will be doing very soon to try and bring more
people on and try and maintain last year’s numbers."
It is looking at untapped markets
which include the Middle East.
F1 tickets go on sale on
Thursday.
— CNA/ir