Off-peak car population lowest since 2006
SINGAPORE — The number of off-peak cars on the roads last year was the lowest since 2006, according to Land Transport Authority (LTA) statistics.
Since rising to a high of 50,040 in 2010, when the off-peak car scheme’s rules were eased, their presence has diminished over the years.
There were 22,562 off-peak cars last year, lower than the 24,413 in 2006.
In comparison, there were 30,469 off-peak cars in 2015 and 38,146 in 2014.
Off-peak cars were introduced in 1994 to allow people with lower incomes the chance to own a car without adding to peak-hour traffic congestion. These cars cannot be driven from 7am to 7pm on weekdays, among other restrictions.
Those who register their car under the scheme get a rebate of up to S$17,000, which can be used to offset the cost of a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) and registration fees when buying a new car. They also get a S$500 discount on annual road tax.
Some drivers, however, said these were not enough. Ms Khadijah Saidi, 32, bought an off-peak car in 2005 when the COE premium for small cars was less than S$15,000. But she bid it farewell in 2015 when its COE expired.
As premiums have more than tripled, extending her car’s lifespan was out of the question for her.
“It was much cheaper then. The COE was also very low, so I thought it was quite a good deal to get a car then, and it was also going to be convenient for me and my family,” she said.
“But if I were actually to make my calculations, it’s way cheaper to get a taxi or a GrabCar nowadays.”
While the overall population of off-peak cars has decreased, more motorists are registering such cars: 1,904 were registered last year, up from 807 in 2015 and 200 in 2014.
Transport analyst Park Byung Joon said the rise could be because of COE prices, which have dipped in the last two years: “The benefit of having an off-peak car is that rebate of S$17,000, and that’s very attractive if COE prices are low.
“Back in 2014, we still had (fewer COEs), and COE prices were more than S$70,000. Then, even after the S$17,000 rebate, you’d still have to pay more than S$100,000 for a car that you can’t use during the day.”
While their overall numbers may be dwindling, some experts say there is little incentive to make changes to the scheme. “It’s a very small percentage of usage, so why go and pick on them,” said transport consultant Gopinath Menon.
“We might as well look at all cars. And I think ultimately the system, as it looks now, is getting less and less popular. So on its own, when you have this car-lite policy, it might just taper off.” CHANNEL NEWSASIA
