In the city-state of Singapore, it is not uncommon that A Toyota Yaris Cross comes out for more than 120,000 euros. And it is that at the purchase of the car you have to add a certificate to circulate through its streets that It has become a luxury object. This certificate can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and it is mandatory to go through the hoop if we want to drive our own car through its streets.
The most restrictive system in the world. Since 1990, Singapore forces its citizens to acquire a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) Before you can buy any vehicle. This certificate, which is obtained for auction every fifteen days, can reach 100,000 euros for vehicles with more than 1,600 cubic centimeters or 130 hp of power. The little ones require a certificate of about 72,000 euros. With this, the government intends to keep the car park below 950,000 vehicles throughout the country.
When a utility is worth a supercar. Adding this certificate to the account, prices shoot quickly, even for modest tourism. A Toyota Yaris Cross can easily reach 121,372 euros, despite costing just over 20,000 euros without the COE system. A Volkswagen Golf exceeds 128,600 euros, while an electric Citroën C4 is around 122,464 euros. With an average family salary of about 83,848 euros per year, according to Reutersmost Singapurenses are automatically excluded from the property of a car.
Public transport as a real alternative. Unlike other cities where the car is essential, Singapore offers an efficient and affordable public transport network. Long paths cost less than two dollars and applications such as grab, make the function of taxis and home orders. At least, running without a car in Singapore is not a drama under this public transport system, although there are cases in which it remains a necessity.
A status symbol, not a tool. For those who can afford it, the car has become a purely aspirational object. Andre Lee, insurance agent, explained to the New York Times that paid $ 24,000 for a second -hand Kia Forte in 2020, since having a car was part of its professional image. However, three years later he chose to sell it when considering that the expense was not justified and now moves in public transport.
Families trapped between need and cost. For families with young children, the decision is especially complex. Joy Fang and her husband They bought In 2022 an Avante Hyundai used for $ 58,000 to transport their two children, allocating more than 10% of their monthly family budget to the maintenance of the vehicle. Although they have had to cut out and trips, they consider to move with young children in public transport.
Brutal effestion effectiveness. The system results are undeniable: Singapore has just 11 cars per 100 inhabitantsforehead At more than 75 from countries like the United States or Italy. While other cities adopt urban tolls such as London o Stockholm, none charges so much for the simple right to possess a car. On the other hand, the consequences of this legislation are also noticed in its clear streets and rapid displacements that contrast with the chaos that can be lived in the traffic of other cities of Southeast Asia such as Yakarta or Bangkok.
A model that expels the middle classes. Singapore has turned the car an exclusive good of economic elites without generating a social collapse. According to the sociologist Chua Beng Huat, the population has culturally accepted to give up long hours behind the wheel in exchange for more fluid urban mobility.
Cover image | Meriç Dağlı
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