SINGAPORE: When a local Reddit user wrote that the high prices of Certificates of Entitlement (COEs), the document required for car ownership in Singapore, is an issue that carries weight for them for the next General Election, this sparked a discussion on the platform.
In a Mar 23 post on r/Singapore, he wrote that he was unsure “what policymakers are thinking in regards to spiralling COE prices.”
Singapore is one of the most expensive countries in which to own a car, with the number of vehicles tightly regulated given the city-state’s small size. In addition to the price of a vehicle, a would-be owner needs to pay for a COE, whose prices may hover close to S$100,000, except for motorcycles.
The author also wrote about the unhappiness people feel regarding the perception that private hire vehicle (PHV) companies are causing high COE prices.
“Despite constant feedback from the public, the transport ministry still insists that PHV companies are the main cause of rising COEs. I disagree… it is one of the main drivers. Experience years ago when Uber and Grab were building their fleet tells us otherwise. This is going to cost the government in the coming elections.”
Many appeared to disagree with the author regarding the COE, with one much-upvoted comment reading, “Why do people not understand that high COE prices are a feature, not a bug?”
A commenter hazarded a guess, saying that many young Singaporeans view car ownership as a big milestone, which makes the high price of COE difficult for them.
Also, when one argued that driving saves them a lot of time, another wrote that this would end quickly if everyone in Singapore gets to drive a car, as it would “swiftly” turn the city-state into “the world’s largest parking lot.”
“The beauty of the COE system keeping car ownership down is that WHEN you need to get to places, you don’t get stuck in traffic jams because there are a gazillion cars on the road!” a Reddit user wrote.
Another chimed in with, “Comfort, convenience, hygiene & privacy. Cars undoubtedly give you a higher quality of life.”
Others, arguing for car ownership, wrote that some parts of Singapore are underserved by the public transport system and added that there are hidden gems in out-of-the-way spots that can only be accessed by car.
There were a few who even opined that the public transport system has, instead of getting better, gotten worse in the past few years, and one commenter even said that it takes him an hour to get to work daily. /TISG