'I don't think we need to tighten up car population': Chee Hong Tat says going car-lite not about ownership but usage

Going car-lite doesn't mean fewer people owning cars; it means fewer people relying on them for daily use, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in an interview with the media on Tuesday (Dec 3).

"I don't think we need to tighten up the car population," Minister Chee prefaced in response to a question on measures taken to reduce the car population.

"If we look at what we have today, actually, we are confident that we are able to increase it (car population) with the [projected] 20,000 [increase in] new COE supply."

In October, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that up to 20,000 additional certificates of entitlement (COE) would be introduced over the next few years, beginning in February 2025.

This supply of 20,000 additional certificates would be spread across the five vehicle categories, LTA said then.

Explaining this decision, Chee said that there has been a change in usage patterns since Covid-19, adding that the introduction of ERP 2.0 means that they now have a tool that can better aid in traffic management, such as through distance-based charging.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been lower traffic in the CBD, and total vehicle mileage decreased by around six per cent from 2019 to 2023.

"The problem with cars is not so much ownership but usage, especially during peak hours," he said.

"So if people own their car, but they don't drive them all at the same time - during peak hours - and there's no congestion, that itself is actually not a problem."

The issue of usage

On the thinking behind going car-lite, Minister Chee said that it is not only about vehicle ownership but also about usage. 

"If we can shift some of the controls from ownership to usage through the use of tools like ERP 2.0... then it gives us even more leeway to be able to introduce further injections of COE supply beyond the 20,000," he added.

Aside from this, Chee also raised the importance of alternative modes of transport, specifically public transport options of bus and MRT.

In order to provide a viable alternative, the MRT system will have to be "more pervasive, more well-connected" and "more accessible", with more families within walking distance of stations.

"If they are not, then there will be a feeder bus that can connect them to the MRT station."

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Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme

The Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP), for example, is one way of improving alternatives to driving.

Since the launch of the BCEP in July 2024, the LTA has made improvements to 29 existing services and introduced new bus services to improve connectivity to estates such as Punggol, Tengah, Tampines and Yishun.

A sum of $900 million will be invested into the BCEP, which aims to improve Singapore's bus network over the next eight years.

Come Jan 2, 2025, four new City Direct Service buses, 675, 676, 677 and 678 will bring residents in the northeast region to the CBD as an alternative to the North East Line.

Bus service 967 in Woodlands will bring residents staying along Woodlands Avenue 1 - and some in Marsiling and Admirality - to nearby transport nodes and local amenities on Jan 12 next year.

Service 230 will also be extended to cover Toa Payoh Lorong 7 and 8, as well as Caldecott MRT station by February 2025.

"We welcome feedback from the grassroots advisors, community leaders, residents, and then we'll study to see how we can best meet this changing demand in different parts of Singapore," Chee said.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com