Singapore: Balancing Car Ownership and Public Transport

Only one-third of Singapore households have cars. This is because the government makes it impossibly difficult to own private vehicles in Singapore. The Vehicle Quota System, launched in 1990, was a landmark scheme designed to limit the number of new vehicles that may be registered in Singapore and restrict vehicle population growth. COEs, which are an integral part of the Vehicle Quota System, were also introduced in 1990. A COE is a Certificate of Entitlement for which a citizen needs to apply if they want to buy a vehicle. In Singapore, a COE represents the right to vehicle ownership for ten years. Depending on the type of vehicle, the COE could cost between $90,889 and $100,000 (according to the latest rates). Public buses, school buses, and emergency vehicles are exempt from the COE scheme. Because of the high cost of vehicle ownership, Singapore has a robust public transport system that is ranked among the best in the world. This is also done to keep traffic congestion in check, which is a common urban problem.