Fewer COEs for new quota year
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Channel NewsAsia - 43 minutes ago
Fewer COEs for new quota year starting May 2008
SINGAPORE : There will be fewer Certificates of Entitlement for the new quota year starting from May 2008.
The number will be cut 7.5 percent from the previous year to 115,946.
Although the reduction is widely anticipated and in line with the effort to reduce congestion, the cut is still less than what car dealers had been bracing for.
This and other issues related to the recent broad Land Transport Review came up for debate in Parliament on Thursday.
Raymond Lim, Transport Minister, said: "I know, sadly, like what MP Cynthia Phua says, not everyone says my name with affection but that goes with the job."
In a tongue—in—cheek start, the Transport Minister acknowledged how some recent announcements to keep traffic flowing on the streets have not always been popular.
Jessica Tan, MP — East Coast GRC, said: "Higher costs will definitely result in improved road usage and traffic conditions. However, if public transport is not viable, it will only be a matter of time before congestion resurfaces. Hence the net impact will be increased costs."
Cynthia Phua, MP — Aljunied GRC, said: "My only hope for the improvement of the public transport system now is the central planning of routes. My only request is that it can done faster and the planners must not be desktop planners. Go to the ground, take the buses and trains, understand the needs of the different segments of commuters, look at the whole journey."
ERP was another hot potato with Opposition MP Low Thia Khiang wanting to know how the Ministry decides on where to set up the gantries.
Lee Bee Wah, MP — Ang Mo Kio GRC, said: "As some of my residents call it: "Every round pay. You turn here you pay, you turn there you pay". Or in Malay, we say: "Pusing sini bayar, pusing sana bayar". Perhaps this is uniquely Singapore."
On competition, Mr Lim said it was not just a numbers game.
Mr Lim said: "The key is to ensure markets are contestable and that people can come in and bid for packages."
Turning to fares, Mr Lim said the Public Transport Council is reviewing the fare formula, as it is supposed to do after three years.
However, he rejected calls by some MPs for more concessions to be given to the elderly, saying there were richer senior citizens too.
Instead he said more targeted help for those who really needed it was a better option.
On ERP and the worsening problem of congestion, especially after cars became cheaper in recent years, Mr Lim’s response was: "Even if we were to cut vehicle population growth rate to 0, you will still need the recent ERP changes to deal with existing congestion from the 850,000 vehicles."
As for whether there is any optimal car growth rate, Mr Lim said, after this, the rate has been fixed to a 1.5 percent annual increase.
But this figure is not locked in — it will be reviewed after three years.
As for transparency, Mr Lim said ERP charges will be mounted prominently on top of all gantries by year—end.
Mr Lim said: "So when you see that — don’t brake suddenly, just take note of it so that the next time you know that in the next half hour, how much it’ll cost you. Please make a considered decision."
In the end, taking a holistic view, Mr Lim said the idea was to ensure that as the population grows Singapore remains a city in a garden and not city in a carpark. — CNA/ch
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another million $$$ answer...
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the era of cheap cars is over
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so this is what government really wants