Lowest COE quota in 7 years; LTA maintains near-zero vehicle growth rate

 

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SINGAPORE: The Certificate of Entitlement (COE) quota for November 2021 to January 2022 has been set at 10,590 - the lowest in more than seven years.

The previous low came during the February to April 2014 period, when 9,127 COEs were available.

Amid land constraints and competing needs, and as the number of vehicles in Singapore approaches 1 million, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday (Oct 15) said vehicle growth rate will be maintained at zero until Jan 31, 2025.

As an exception, goods vehicles and buses will be allowed to grow 0.25 per cent annually.

"Public transport and other forms of green commuting, such as shared transport and active mobility modes, are the more sustainable modes of transport," said LTA.

The authority has continued to improve the reliability and connectivity of Singapore's public transport infrastructure "to build a more sustainable and liveable environment for Singaporeans", it added.

Projects such as Thomson-East Coast Line Stages 3, 4 and 5 as well as Circle Line Stage 6 will be operational over the next five years, while Jurong Region Line will be completed in stages from 2027 to 2029.From the 2030s, the Cross Island Line will also open progressively, according to LTA.

"With these enhancements, our MRT network will grow from about 245km today to 360km over the next two decades. By 2030, the 460km of cycling paths we have today will be expanded to 1,300km to improve active mobility connectivity within and across towns," said LTA.

It added: "We are mindful of the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, and the reliance of businesses, particular SMEs on goods vehicles and buses, which are not easily substitutable without significant changes in operations."

As such, the current 0.25 per cent annual growth for category C will be maintained "to allow businesses more time to improve the efficiency of their logistics operations and reduce the number of goods vehicles and buses required".