Motormouth: The unofficial national car of Singapore has these 5 special features

Your car is Singaporean if it has at least three of these five special features which define Singapore-style motoring in 2024.

SG special feature #1

COUNT ON ME, SINGAPORE

You have to do your sums to get your car on the road and drive it. The counting in question is for the precious COE (certificate of entitlement), irritating ERP (electronic road pricing), painful ARF (additional registration fee) and less painful road tax, plus the financing and motor insurance.

SG special feature #2    

STAND UP FOR SINGAPORE

Going car-lite on our island means that a motorist seated in his or her motorcar should stand inside buses and trains instead to reach a destination. But it will be an uphill task convincing the 471,000 local households which own at least one car that they should rely less on their personal vehicle and more on public transport.

SG special feature #3    

ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE SINGAPORE

And one Land Transport Authority. LTA, our government agency for all things automotive, not only decides the taxes and applicable rebates/surcharges for your car, but also the rules and regulations of owning/operating it, for better or worse. 

SG special feature #4    

FIVE STARS ARISING

Is “your” car from Grab, GetGo, BlueSG, Tribecar or Lumens? These five enterprising firms have made it easier than ever (without going into the dollars and sense) for drivers to rent/lease/monetise a car and for riders to hire a private “pirate taxi” in the case of Grab.

SG special feature #5    

HOME

If the way you drive your Singapore-registered car is a rojak mix of kiasu, kiasi and kia si lang, with the ratio depending on individual competence and consideration behind the wheel, then you are truly a homegrown motorist. 

But there is something down the road that we can strive for, because we are told no dream’s too bold that we can’t try for - let us make road courtesy our way of drive life. 

This is my country, this is my flag and this is my car - we are Singapore, Singaporean.

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