High ownership costs push more Singaporeans towards car-free living
Expensive certificates of entitlement, rising running costs, congestion and parking difficulties are prompting more Singaporeans to reconsider private car ownership. Government figures show privately owned cars have fallen to their lowest level since 2019 as public transport, cycling infrastructure and alternatives expand.
More Singaporeans are giving up private cars as ownership costs rise and the city-state expands public transport and cycling alternatives. Business consultant Andrew Tan decided not to renew his certificate of entitlement after being quoted S$112,000 for another 10 years. He had owned a car for two decades but said fuel, road tax, insurance, maintenance and congestion charges had made driving harder to justify.
Government figures released in July showed 516,237 privately owned cars in Singapore, the lowest number since 2019. Privately owned cars still represented 79 per cent of vehicles on the roads, although rental, ride-hailing and corporate fleets had grown. The Land Transport Authority’s “Move Lite” campaign promotes walking, cycling and public transport while highlighting the time and expense associated with driving.
The authority says its goal is to offer safe, reliable and sustainable choices rather than target one group of commuters. Singapore controls vehicle numbers through certificates auctioned for 10-year periods and has maintained a zero-growth policy for private cars and motorcycles since 2018. Former transport engineer Gopinath Menon said vehicle restrictions had been part of the island’s transport strategy since the 1970s.
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