Why driving in Singapore is like ‘Rolex wear’

Andre Lee received Kia Forte used to increase his career as an insurance agent in Singapore. In his mind, he saw himself affected his potential customers in his black coupe.

“It is the same as wearing in formal wear or Rolex with leather shoes,” Mr. Lee, 33, 2020, the two-door cars.

$ 24,000 for Mr. Lee 2010 Model has paid for about five times the car will be listed In the US. Why not mark?

A island-state, which is smaller than New York City, is charged with thousands of dollars for the right to get a vehicle from drivers. To restrict pollution and congestion, the cost of permits applied in 1990 increases with the cost of the car.

Mr. Lee was on the cheaper side, including permission. Some drivers pay $ 84,000 for a 10-year document known as legal certificate.

“I recognize people who treat the vehicles better than their families, because sometimes a family is more expensive to keep a car more,” said Mr. Lee. (Your own family is owed to him for kia.)

Many Singaporians have a little reason to have a car owner. The majority of residents are reliant expansion and a suitable public transport system that extends on the island. Even long trips are 2.50 Singapore dollars or less than $ 2 and Walking platforms It’s like ahead.

Still, two-time car owners and vendors who want, offer for a certain permission of the permits set by the Singapore authorities.

To restrict car ownership, the country’s ten-year length campaign: 100 people have about 11 cars, about 82 cars and trucks United States and 67 Italian.

As part of the efforts related to Singapore, contamination and traffic, taxes are not the first. In 1989, the city of Mexico began to regulate several cars daily. London and Stockholm submitted the prices of later. New York City followed this year First To do this in the United States.

However, none of these cities are higher than the number of drivers to own a car.

The most expensive permit in Singapore increased by about 18 percent to more than $ 84,000 March from a year ago. However, rising costs are not visible to reduce rising costs. This government In the 2024 financial year, 40 percent of the percentage of 40 percent won $ 4.86 billion per cent.

Tens of thousands of dollars for a car permissions are not a big deal for the richest inhabitants of Singapore, which is shooting tens of thousands of dollars.

Sanne Ching, who manages import-export business, received a Mercedes-Benz sedan, so his parents around himself and their parents. The only permission only lifts $ 60,000, the total price for about $ 150,000. (Similar model He would have been operating $ 48,450 in the United States.)

“I pay the price for comfort,” he said.

However, the value of the permission for those who have the middle class, especially children are a difficult choice.

Sevinj Fang and her husband, Hyundai Avante, used in 2022, received two children in school and daylight, including permission. The price of the car is about twice as much as a new model of the sedan’s new model.

“It’s not necessarily worth it when you make the value of us really use.” Every month, the couple pays more than 10 percent of the car budget, more than $ 1,000 or 10 percent, cars, permission and road tax, fuel and parking lots. To replace the price, they allocated back to eat and travel.

However, the idea of ​​juggling a variety of water in two children and public transport is Blank.

“Honestly, I feel like we fall into a garden,” he said.

Other Southeast Asian cities that are drowning in traffic regularly, Singapore is facing an alternative to other Southeast Asian cities, Singaporean Singapore Professor of Sociology at Singapore.

“We just do not sit in two or three hours of traffic to start work,” he said. Effective public transport system makes it easier for Singaporeans to use a car, and when he needs to go to the center of the city itself.

However, there is still a BYD SUV that used to get grandchildren around the city.

Maths for other car owners are very difficult to justify sometimes. Mr. Lee, who is an insurance agent, sold that Kia was sold three years later. Maintenance, parking and fuel costs were assigned and was not sure that it translates for more work.

These days, Mr. Lee gets public transport. If you need to meet a customer, his father’s Nissan Kashqai borrowed.

“I had other priorities and did not see that the car was on top of the list.”