Kuching Car Free Morning to add Petra Jaya route in April

KUCHING (Jan 18): City residents will soon have an additional Sunday to take part in the popular Kuching Car Free Morning (KCFM) this year, with a new route in Petra Jaya to be introduced in April.

Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, DBKU and Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said the initiative reflects ongoing efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle, environmental sustainability and social unity among Kuching residents.

“Since Kuching Car Free Morning was introduced, it has become a very attractive event in our city where residents come together with their families, friends, NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and organisations to participate,” he told reporters after launching the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU)’s 2026 KCFM and Events Calendar at Padang Merdeka here today.

Currently held twice a month on the first and third Sundays, the programme has grown into a much-anticipated community activity, said Dr Abdul Rahman.

“We have this Kuching Car Free Morning every fortnight on the first and third Sundays of the month. These mornings are very much awaited by Kuching residents as a time to exercise and spend time together,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kuching North Datuk Bandar Dato Hilmy Othman said DBKU plans to expand the programme to Petra Jaya to allow residents in the area to also enjoy a car-free recreational space.

“This year marks the fifth year since we started Car Free Morning in 2021. Due to the strong response from the public, we have planned to introduce one additional route, this time in Petra Jaya,” he said.

Hilmy said studies have been carried out and the route has already been identified.

“We hope to implement this project in April this year. Feedback from our surveys shows encouraging support from residents in Petra Jaya,” he added.

Under the proposed arrangement, the existing KCFM route, covering Padang Merdeka, Kuching Waterfront, Pangkalan Sapi and Dataran Ibu Pertiwi, will continue on the first and third Sundays of each month, while the Petra Jaya route will be used on the second Sunday.

“For the second week, we propose to hold Car Free Morning in Petra Jaya. This will allow us to further extend the benefits of recreational activities to more city residents,” Hilmy said.

Adding on, Dr Abdul Rahman said the programme also aligns with state and federal efforts to reduce carbon emissions and enhance urban sustainability.

“One of the main objectives of this programme is to ensure that we are aligned with the Sarawak and Malaysian governments’ efforts to increase environmental sustainability by reducing carbon emissions,” he said.

Beyond recreation and environmental goals, he said the initiative also plays a role in strengthening social cohesion.

“We bring together participants from government departments, agencies, NGOs and various organisations. This helps strengthen interaction and unity among our multi-racial urban community,” he added.