07-08-2025
Granularity is essential for a more accurate perspective on car ownership
In a recent letter from the Ministry of Transport director for private and shared mobility Elaine Koh, published on Aug 5, she mentioned that only 5 per cent of Singapore households own more than one car. While this statistic may be accurate in terms of household numbers, it presents a misleading picture of car ownership in Singapore.
Based on 2024 data from the Department of Statistics, Singapore has approximately 1,463,400 resident households. When we apply the reported 5 per cent figure, it means roughly 73,170 households own multiple cars. Assuming these households own just two cars each, this accounts for a minimum of 146,340 cars.
This suggests that a significant proportion of passenger cars on our roads are owned by just 5 per cent of households. The actual number is likely even higher, as some of these multi-car households own three or more vehicles.
These numbers are crucial to highlight to the public. The '5 per cent of households' statistic makes it seem like multi-car ownership is a marginal issue. However, it is likely that a more substantial concentration of vehicles lies in the hands of a small and presumably affluent segment of the population.
This distinction is essential for a more accurate and meaningful perspective on car ownership in Singapore.
Furthermore, I do not think anyone is asking the government to guarantee that every household owns a car. However, the government should ensure that it is a level playing field for individuals when it comes to bidding for Certificate of Entitlements (COEs).
Currently, individuals and private-hire vehicle (PHV) and rental companies are competing for COEs in the same category. Clearly, the latter group has much stronger financial firepower and will outbid individuals.
PHV and rental companies are essentially providing services to the public, no different from taxis. This being the case, PHV and rental companies should be classified and treated the same as taxis when it comes to COE allocation, and should not be allowed to bid in the same category as private individuals.
This is an area which the government can easily address. It is a question of whether it wants to or not, and the reasons against it should be explained transparently to the public. Neo ChinHwee
