After a musical fountain and art gallery, the Ipoh City Council has now come up with plans for a Walking Street akin to that in Songkhla, Thailand.
Datuk Bandar Datuk Roshidi Hashim, who had recently returned from a working visit to the popular Thai tourist destination, said he was impressed with the Walking Street there, which stretched for about 2km and sold mainly food.
The Walking Street, he said, is open only on weekends and operated from evening to midnight.
“What is most unique about the place is that the traders have turned their old vehicles into mobile restaurants to attract the attention of the people.
“I saw one trader using an old Volkswagen van, which he had converted into a makeshift restaurant, while another used an old lorry.
“The food is prepared instantly and there were just so many varieties of Thai and other foods served,” he told reporters after chairing the council’s full board meeting recently.
The council, Roshidi said, would send two of its officers to Songkhla to conduct further studies on the possibility of adapting the concept here.
“We are thinking of creating the Walking Street in our Ipoh old town area.
“If it materialises, then our local traders will be selling even more varieties of food since we have Malay, Chinese and Indian delicacies,” he added.
Roshidi noted that Ipoh old town was an ideal location for a Walking Street as it could help liven up the area at night.
“Its long stretch of road is among the best places to set up the Walking Street.
“It will also be good if festive delicacies, which are usually found around Ipoh old town, are sold at the Walking Street as well,” he added.
Noting that Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen had suggested to him to have a Fabulous Food Festival in Ipoh, Roshidi said:
“If the concept materialises, then the Walking Street can be a part of that festival.”
-Thestar.