Singapore solution to Philippine traffic woes

The time has come to limit the sale of new vehicles and stop the sale of used cars.

Common sense tells us that roads can only accommodate so many vehicles. Let’s adopt Singapore’s system of getting “certificates of entitlement” (COE) before buying new vehicles.

COE is based on the principle that roads are limited—and thus, buying a vehicle is not a right but an “entitlement” or “privilege.”

So to buy a vehicle in Singapore, one has to apply for a COE, and if this is available (not always), to pay for it. The cost of the COE is usually more than the vehicle’s cost, so the purchase cost is more than double. The COE—like the new vehicle—is good for 10 years, after which the vehicle is scrapped.

In Singapore, there are no trisikad, tricycles, jeepneys, and no buses and cars older than 10 years. The COE system works because of the excellent public transport system (MRT, buses, taxis). Private transportation is a luxury, not a necessity and most Singaporeans use the bus or the MRT—cheap, efficient.

AMADO MUNDA dinkymunda@gmail.com