Driving in Singapore
Encyclopedia
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, cars and other vehicles drive on the left side of the road, as in neighbouring Malaysia. This reflects their common history of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
rule, when British rules of the road were adopted across its Empire, which also included Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong in the Asia-Pacific region.
The per capita car ownership rate in Singapore is 12 cars per 100 people (1 car per 8.33 people). This compares with the per capita rate of 1 car per 2.09 people in Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
.
History
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, after its founding
Founding of modern Singapore
The founding of modern Singapore in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles paved the way for Singapore to become a modern port and established its status as a gateway between the Western and Eastern markets....
in 1819, were laid out in the Jackson Plan
Jackson Plan
The Jackson Plan of 1822, also known as the "Plan of the Town of Singapore", was an urban plan for Singapore drawn up to maintain some order in the urban development of the fledgling but thriving colony founded just three years earlier...
of 1822 in keeping with Sir Stamford Raffles's directions. A grid system was adopted for the town with roads for carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s being 16 yards (14.6 m) wide, and those for horses four yards wide. Pedestrian paths along the roadsides were two yards wide, allowing room for two people to walk abreast and giving rise to the five-foot ways that came to be associated with the sheltered walkways along roadside shop
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
s.
These roads were fairly advanced for the time, with Macadam
Macadam
Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by the Scotsman John Loudon McAdam in around 1820. The method simplified what had been considered state-of-the-art at that point...
surfacing used on High Street, Singapore as early as 1821. Roads were also constructed across the rest of the island, although they were usually unsurfaced. By 1842, Changi
Changi
Changi is an area at the eastern end of Singapore. It is now the site of Singapore Changi Airport/Changi Air Base, Changi Naval Base and is also home to Changi Prison, site of the former Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War II which held Allied prisoners captured in Singapore and Malaysia...
Point in the eastern tip was accessible via an extension of Geylang Road
Geylang Road
Geylang Road is a major trunk road linking Singapore's central business district with the eastern suburban areas. Deriving its name from the area of Geylang where the road cuts through, it is fronted on both sides by low-rise shophouses protected statutorily from urban redevelopment in keeping...
, while Pasir Panjang Road reached Jurong River in the west. The Bukit Timah Road
Bukit Timah Road
Bukit Timah Road is a major road in Singapore extending from the city centre to Woodlands Road on the way to Johor Bahru in Malaysia. The road has a distance of 25km , which is one of the longest roads in Singapore, and the road takes its name from the hill...
was also extended to Kranji
Kranji
Kranji is a suburb in northwestern Singapore, located about from the city centre.-Etymology:Kranji is named after a local tree, the kranji or keranji . Its abundance has rapidly dwindled since the first half of the nineteenth century.-History:The first Singapore-Kranji railway from Tank Road to...
in the north by 1845, where the nearby Johor-Singapore Causeway
Johor-Singapore Causeway
The Johor–Singapore Causeway is a 1,056-metre causeway that links the city of Johor Bahru in Malaysia across the Straits of Johor to the town of Woodlands in Singapore. It serves as a road, rail, and pedestrian link, as well as water piping into Singapore.The causeway is connected to the...
was built almost 80 years later in 1924. Even so, only about 340 kilometres of road were built in the century after 1820, compared to more than 2,000 kilometres in the four decades after 1965 .
As with many other urban areas of the time, the earliest modes of road transport were via ponies
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
, and then horse-drawn carriages. Batak ponies
Batak Pony
The Batak Pony is a pony breed from Indonesia. Originating in Central Sumatra, it is thought to have descended from Mongolian Horse and Arabian blood, and has continually been infused with additional Arabian blood to improve its quality...
from the Sultanate of Deli
Sultanate of Deli
Deli is a 1,820 km² state in east Sumatra founded in 1630. A tributary kingdom from 1630 until 1814, the state became a sultanate in 1814 when acquiring independence from Sultanate of Siak....
in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
were introduced into the Malaya
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
in the Dutch era, and were often called palonguins or later gharries
Gharry
A gharry or gharri is a horse-drawn cab used especially in India. A palkee gharry is shaped somewhat like a palanquin. A gharry driver is a gharry-wallah....
. They proved too small for the larger carriages introduced later by the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans, whose parades were used as fashion statements for the social elite around the Padang
Padang, Singapore
The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground...
and were soon joined by their affluent Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ic counterparts. So important were these parades in the networking opportunities they provided that merchants were known to voluntarily pay to build the public roads or to speed up road construction. Collyer Quay
Collyer Quay
Collyer Quay is a road in Downtown Core, Singapore that starts after Fullerton Road and ends at the junction of Raffles Quay, Finlayson Green and Marina Boulevard...
, for example, was constructed purely by private funding.
The most well-to-do would typically own their carriages and horses, often employing native Indian servants (popularly known as Syces) to maintain them. Carriages for hire soon became available as well, with hackneys
Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
and gharries being the earliest forms of taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s in Singapore. Another early use of pony-drawn carriages was that of the Singapore Fire Brigade, the predecessor of today's Singapore Civil Defence Force
Singapore Civil Defence Force
The Singapore Civil Defence Force is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main role of SCDF is to provide...
.
Class 3/3A
A class 3 or class 3A licence permits the holder to drive motorcars weighing less than 3000 kg when unladen and may not carry more than 7 passengers, excluding the driver. In addition, the holder may drive a motor tractor or other motor vehicles with an unladen weight of less than 2500 kg. A class 3A licence limits the holder to drive motor vehicles without a clutch pedal, typically automatic transmission cars, whereas a class 3 licence allows the holder to drive all motor vehicles. Class 3A drivers may be optional to drive manual transmission cars.Drivers must be 18 years old in order to qualify for a licence
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
including applying for theory lessons. Once a driver passes the Basic Theory Test (BTT), (s)he must apply for a Provisional Driving Licence (PDL), which lasts for six months, before taking practical driving lesson. However, a student can choose to apply and pass the Final Theory Test (FTT) before applying for a PDL and starting driving lessons. The last stage of obtaining a driving licence is the practical driving test for which a student must have a FTT pass result slip and a PDL.
The driving theory tests each contain 50 questions and last for 50 minutes, with a pass mark of 45 out of the 50 questions correct. Results are shown immediately after the test on the same touchscreen monitor.
Driving with a foreign licence in Singapore
Visitors (without student pass, work permit, employment pass or Singapore Permanent Resident, or other social passes) who have been in Singapore less than six months may drive with their foreign-issued licence. Conversion to a Singapore licence is often possible by passing only the Basic Theory Test if the foreign issued licence has not expired. No practical test is required.Renewal of Licence
No renewal of a driving licence is required for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents since the introduction of the photocard licence. The driving licence is valid to age 65.After age 65, a medical check up every 3 years is required to renew their motorcar and/or motorcycle licence (Class 3/3A/2B/2A/2).
For goods vehicles (Class 4/5), annual renewals requiring annual medical checkups are required until they reach the upper limit of 70 years old.
Foreign drivers in Singapore
Foreigners who have converted to/obtain a Singapore licence are supplied with a limited-duration licence which needs to be renewed between 1 month before expiry to 3 years after expiry.After this period, the conversion procedure or licensing theory and practical tests must be done all over again.
Riding motorcycles registered on a different holder
In Singapore, it is illegal to ride a motorcycle if the rider's name is not entered in the insurance contract. For each motorcycle, only one co-rider can be entered, but the procedure to change the co-rider is comparatively quick and easy.Driver Improvement Points System
The Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS) is a system whereby demerit points will be added to the driver's record. The system is meant to deter drivers from infringing the rules-of-the-road and, if they do, suspend their driving licence for a period of time. This system requires offenders to retest and pass the driving test again from the beginning.If a driver accumulates 24 demerit points within a period of two years, he/she will be suspended from driving for three months. If he/she had been suspended before, he/she will only be allowed to accumulate less than 12 demerit points in a period of 12 months. Initially, this system was only used for Singapore driving licence holders until 1 November 1, 1999, when the traffic police
Traffic police
Traffic police or Traffic cops may refer to:*Police controlling traffic, see rules of the road*Traffic Cops, a BBC real-life documentary*Highway patrol*Road Policing Unit*Traffic Guard*Sri Lankan Traffic Police*Municipal police...
extended the system to foreign driving licence holders which states that any foreigner who accumulates 24 demerit points in two years will be prohibited from driving in Singapore for three months (first time prohibition) and up to a maximum of three years for subsequent offenders.
Currently, drivers are given demerit points if they commit certain traffic offences such as speeding and passengers not fastening their seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
s.
Electronic Road Pricing
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore implemented an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme to deter traffic congestion during peak hours at various roads. The ERP scheme requires electronic gantries to be placed over the road at designated locations and that cars be equipped with an In-Vehicle Unit (IU), a rectangular device pasted on the inside bottom right of the front windscreen from the driver's view, which will deduct the toll price from a CashCard. The CashCard must be inserted into the device, and to fail to do so is in violation of law. There is no charge for entering the area during certain non-peak times.
Parking
The cost of parking in many upgraded car parks can be deducted from the CashCard inserted in the IU of the vehicle, thus eliminating the need for the car park to have an attendant. Although the cost of parking (which is published) is variable, parking costs tend to be much less expensive compared to London and New York. For example, the Centrepoint shopping centre charges S$1 (approximately US$0.70) for the first hour. For comparison, garages in New York near 5th Avenue and 57th Street charge between US$12 and US$26 for one hour of parking.Some car parks in Singapore are even more advanced, containing car parking space sensors which detect whether the position is filled or not. This information is processed and displayed in signs around the car park, directing drivers to areas where there are free spaces.
Road Signs in Singapore
During British colonial rule, Singapore's road rules and legislature which govern the design and layout of the road signs were directly imported from Britain. As such, most road signs in Singapore are similar to their counterparts in the United Kingdom. For example, warning signs are a depicted as red triangles and mandatory regulative signs are depicted as blue circles.However, several aspects of road signage and traffic calming measures adopted locally developed standards after independence.
Major deviations are as follows:
1. A locally developed typeface is used in favour for the road signs, instead of Transport
Transport (typeface)
Transport is a sans serif typeface designed for road signs in the United Kingdom. It was created between 1957 and 1963 by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert as part of their work as designers for the Department of Transport's Anderson and Worboys committees....
which was adopted in Britain.
2. In 1998, a system of black-on-yellow 'curve alignment markers' were widely adopted and gradually replaced the British system of using white-on-black sharp deviation signs to delineate sharp turns.
3. In the late 1990s, all the circular regulatory signs and triangular warning signs were mounted to a one-size-fits-all square white backing board to improve conspicuity on a complex background (e.g. trees).
4. In the early 2000s, signs at road works are usually black-on-red-orange with diamond and rectangular shaped, which are similar to the Taiwanese system.
Most roads, bridges, roundabouts and tunnels are marked with signposts with the road's name. The expressways in Singapore are not numbered (unlike most other countries), but are named. Road signs abbreviate the full name of the expressway into three representative alphabets, such as the PIE for Pan Island Expressway or the ECP for East Coast Parkway respectively.
Almost all road signs in Singapore are in English although many road names have a Malay origin. Typically, "Jalan" is used for "Road" and "Lorong is used for "Lane". Multilingual road signs exist, especially for historically ethnic enclaves like Chinatown or Little India, or for landmarks. For example, some directional signs pointing to Hindu or Chinese temples are bilingual or trilingual (English, Chinese or Hindu). Bilingual signage dates to the early days of Singapore.
Left Turn or Right Turn at a red traffic light
Left TurnIn Singapore, it is illegal to turn left (into the nearest lane, due to the left-hand driving) during a red light. This rule, however, does not apply if a 'Left Turn On Red' sign is present at the junction, allowing left turning motorists to turn left, provided they stop before the stop line and give way to pedestrians and incoming traffic.
Right Turn
It is illegal to turn right during a red light in Singapore.
Right turns are permissible only when one's lane has the green light signal and the opposing traffic lane, travelling in the opposite direction, is clear and favourable to execute a right turn. However, green turning signals (the outline of a right-pointing arrow) are installed onto some traffic lights, which allow for a controlled version of "right turn on red
Right turn on red
Right turn on red, or simply right on red, is a principle of law permitting vehicles at a traffic light showing a red signal to turn right when the way is clear, in a country with right-hand traffic...
".
These rules in Singapore are similar to many countries that employ left-hand traffic, and unlike countries which permit turns on red.
Driving safety
Driving while using a hand-held mobile phone is prohibited, as is drinking and driving. The level of intoxication is considered 80 mg% (0.08%) of alcohol, but it is also illegal to "drive while impaired."Car safety crash tests
The Singapore government accepts the crash safety standards of the EU and Japan. Cars made in the EU and Japan which pass local standards do not need to pass additional safety standards to be sold in Singapore. Cars may be privately imported into Singapore if they have an EU Certificate of Conformity or the Japanese Completion Inspection Certificate, both of which incorporate emissions and safety standards. Not all cars sold in Singapore have been tested by the EuroNCAPEuroNCAP
The European New Car Assessment Programme is a European car safety performance assessment programme based in Brussels and founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport and backed by several European governments.-History and activities:Euro NCAP is a...
, a car safety testing organisation jointly operated by several European government agencies, that crash tests cars that can be legally sold in several European countries.
Buying a car in Singapore
Many regulations concerning buying and driving a car are administered by the Land Transport AuthorityLand Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:...
, the successor to the Registry of Vehicles.
Certificate of Entitlement
New car buyers are required to buy a Certificate of EntitlementCertificate of Entitlement
The Certificate of Entitlement , instituted by the government of Singapore since May 1990, is a program designed to limit car ownership and hence the number of vehicles on the country's roads...
. The term "bidding" is often used but, in practice, new car dealers assist in the process. The fee of each successfully obtained COE is added on the costs of a new car based on engine size (usually lower for cars with 1600cc engine or smaller, and higher vice versa). The COE is valid for 10 years. There are provisions for a rebate of the COE if the car is scrapped before 10 years.
The COE costs have increased in recent years. The October 2011 COE for Category B (1601 cc engine and larger) was S$63,600.
Preferential Additional Registration Fee
A car owner may apply for a portion of the Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) if a car is de-registered before 10 years. The term "Additional Registration Fee (ARF)" is calculated from 110% of Open Market Value (OMV). If a car is less than 5 years old, then the PARF is 75% of the ARF.Open Market Value
The Open Market Value of a vehicle is determined by Singapore customs and is equivalent to the price of the car, including freight and other incidental charges.Licence plates
Vehicle licence platesVehicle registration plate
A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing region's database...
in Singapore are the same 520mm x 110mm size found in many European countries. Red licence plates indicate that the car may be driven only during off peak times unless a daily fee is paid. Off peak times are from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Since the end of January 2010, off peak car usage is no longer restricted on Saturday, Sunday and 5 public holiday eve. Off peak licence plates costs less than the regular licence plates. Standard licence plates in Singapore are usually black with silver or white lettering or the newer white front/yellow rear plate combination.
Singapore as a car exporting nation
The result of the peculiarities of the Singapore car market has resulted in Singapore being the second largest exporter of used cars in the world after Japan. Approximately 100,000 cars are exported yearly. Cars are exported to many countries, including African countries. Used cars are often exported to other countries that have right-hand drive arrangements, but there are exports to left hand drive countries. New Zealand allows the importation of used cars previously registered in Singapore without need for any modifications.Part of the reason for the high number of used car exports from Singapore is the reduction in the costs of the COE and PARF between 2000 and 2005. Previously, the COE and PARF might have represented 80% of the price of a medium priced car, such as a Honda Accord. With the COE and PARF less expensive that in the past, in some cases the yearly drop in the COE and PARF rebate begins to become significant compared to the pre-tax (OMV) price of a new car. Furthermore, with the PARF rebate starting to diminish after a car is five years old, the net amount of credit (similar to resale value or trade in value) compared to the OMV begins to become less favourable for the owner of an older car. In contrast, in countries with low taxes, such as a low VAT or low sales tax, the most economical ownership strategy is to keep a car as long as possible until the repair costs exceed the cost of depreciation of a new car or financing costs.
Car market in Singapore
The limited size of the Singapore market results in some brands not offering the full model line in Singapore. Unlike in Australia, where the U.S. Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....
and the Japanese Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....
(re-badged as the Acura TSX
Acura TSX
-Overview:Named as Touring Sportscar eXperimental. The 2004 model year TSX's powertrain consisted of a 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission , and a front wheel drive layout. A five-speed automatic transmission was a no-cost option in the U.S...
in the United States) are sold, only the Japanese Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....
is sold in Singapore. Some brands, such as Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
and Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
(except the Volvo S60R) are only offered with automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
even though manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
cars are sold in the car's home market.
Although car prices are high, servicing costs are reasonable compared to in the United States and Western Europe from the standpoint of labour charges.
SUV (sport utility vehicle
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
s) and pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
s are not as common in Singapore as in the United States and Canada. So, pickup trucks in Singapore are relatively high priced compared to other South East Asian countries, and some dealerships do not import any pickup trucks, for example, Nissan Navara
Nissan Frontier
Nissan Navara is the name for the D22 and D40 generations of Nissan pickup trucks sold in Asia while in the North, Central and South America and the Philippines it is sold as Nissan Frontier. The line was started in 1998, and its immediate predecessor is the D21 Nissan Hardbody truck...
and Thai-built Ford Ranger.
Japanese car manufacturers have the largest market share. Some Japanese cars are imported from countries other than Japan. For example, the Toyota Vios
Toyota Vios
The Toyota Vios is a 4-door subcompact sedan developed for the South East Asia, China, and Taiwan markets.Introduced in 2003, the Vios serves as a replacement of the Toyota Tercel , which filled the Asian subcompact market for a 1.5 litre, below the Toyota Corolla and Toyota Camry, both of which...
is imported from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, whereas the JDM version is called Toyota Belta
Toyota Belta
The Toyota Belta, referred to in North American and Australian markets as the Toyota Yaris and in South Asian markets as the Toyota Vios, is a subcompact sedan manufactured by Toyota...
. Initially the ninth generation Toyota Corolla sold in Singapore was a Japanese model, while the facelift version is a wider and longer Corolla Altis from Thailand.
European car manufacturers are well represented. On the more expensive segment of the market, European cars sold in Singapore include Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...
, Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
, and others. Skoda
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
, Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
and Citroen
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
are among the less expensive European cars sold in Singapore.
American cars have a low market share. Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
, and Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
vehicles are sold in Singapore, such as the Chrysler 300C
Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 is a full-size upscale car first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car. Sales in the U.S. began in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model year car. Designed by Ralph Gilles, the new 300 was built as a high-end sedan while the SRT-8 model was designed to be the...
, Chrysler PT Cruiser
Chrysler PT Cruiser
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a retro styled compact automobile launched by Chrysler as a 5-door hatchback in early 2000 and as a 2-door convertible in early 2005 ....
, Dodge Caliber
Dodge Caliber
The Dodge Caliber was a compact car produced by the Dodge division of Chrysler. It replaced the Neon, and it went on sale in the spring of 2006 as a 2007 model year vehicle...
and Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a subcompact four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle and an off-road vehicle manufactured by American automaker Chrysler, under its Jeep marque – and now in its fourth generation. It is a successor to the famous World War II 'Jeep' vehicle by way of the Willys civilian...
. Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
markets only Korean-made Daewoo cars, not its American made models. Ford markets some cars from its European line, not its American product line. On the other hand, some Japanese car maker, Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
's subsidiary, Subaru of Indiana Automotive
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc.
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is an automobile assembly plant in Lafayette, Indiana which began as a joint venture between Fuji Heavy Industries and Isuzu Motors Ltd...
, has exported the U.S. built Tribeca
Subaru Tribeca
The Subaru Tribeca is a mid-size crossover SUV sold since 2005 by Subaru, the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries . Released in some markets as the Subaru B9 Tribeca, the name "Tribeca" derives from the TriBeCa neighborhood of New York City...
to Singapore, but was not sold well.
Non-Japanese Asian car brands sold in Singapore include Perodua
Perodua
The ' , usually abbreviated to Perodua , is Malaysia's second largest automobile manufacturer after Proton. It was established in 1992 and launched their first car, the Perodua Kancil in August 1994. 'M2’ was refers to the codename which was used when the project to establish Perodua was still Top...
, Proton, Ssangyong, Hafei Motor
Hafei Motor
Hafei, officially the Harbin HF Automobile Industry Group Co Ltd , is a Chinese holding company whose subsidiaries make automobile engines; sedans; MPVs; and mini vehicles, small trucks and vans that see commercial use...
, Chery
Chéry
Chéry is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of farming and forestry, comprising the main village and a hamlet, situated in the valley of the river Arnon some south of Vierzon, at the junction of the D75, D165 and the D68 roads.-Population:-External...
, Geely, Kia
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
, Hyundai
Hyundai
Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...
, and Holden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles is the officially designated performance vehicle partner of Australian automobile manufacturer Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the company modifies Holden models such as the Commodore, Caprice and Ute and markets them under the HSV brandname.-...
.
Used cars that are more than three years cannot be imported into Singapore.
In 2005, there was significant local press coverage of the death of a car saleslady when a customer was involved in a collision during a test drive, reportedly after aggressive driving. The driver's licence was suspended in April 2007 for this incident although the court case was still pending at the time of licence suspension.
Seating etiquette in cars
In Singapore, seating etiquette is informal and not everyone follows the same guidelines. Typically, if there is only a motorist and one passenger that single passenger will sit beside the driver in the front of the car rather than on a rear seat so that the passenger does not appear to have a chauffeur.. However sometimes you will find a husband driving like a chauffeur while his wife sits in the rear holding an infant or young child. More affluent couples will both be in the front of the vehicle and their infant in a carrier on the rear seat or their young child will be on a child-seat positioned on the car's rear seat.In Singapore, only right hand drive cars are allowed. There are exceptions for special purpose vehicles, diplomatic vehicles and foreign registered vehicles driven by visitors.
Major companies in the retail petrol market
Unlike in some countries where there is a significant sector of independent branded petrol dealers, petrol dealers in Singapore sell petrol under the brand name of multinational companies. Royal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, marketing petrol under the "Shell" brand, has the largest retail network of stations. ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
has 23 Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
stations and 19 Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
stations. Caltex
Caltex
Caltex is a petroleum brand name of Chevron Corporation used in more than 60 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and southern Africa.-History:...
, formerly a joint venture between Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
and Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
, but now a subsidiary of Chevron, which acquired Texaco has stations in Singapore. Singapore Petroleum Company
Singapore Petroleum Company
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited is a Singaporean oil company. SPC is involved in the exploration and production of petroleum, refining, trading and petroleum product distribution.- History :...
, marketing petrol under the "SPC" brand also has significant numbers of petrol stations in Singapore.
Four grades of petrol are commonly sold in Singapore. Diesel and unleaded petrol with octane
Octane
Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH36CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain...
levels of 92, 95 and 98 are widely sold. Octane levels conform with European octane ratings and roughly correspond to American octane levels of 87, 90, and 93, respectively. Shell also market a fifth brand of fuel under the V-Power label, in addition to 98 octane petrol. 98 octane V-Power is marketed as having an FMT additive and "formulated to improve performance and responsiveness" and sells for approximately 15 cents per litre more than Shell's other 98 octane fuel
Petrol stations frequently have loyalty schemes, such as Shell's Escape points.
The price of petrol is usually standardised such that the cost of a particular brand of fuel is the same regardless of which station sells it. Petrol is not rationed in Singapore.
Petrol is cheaper in Malaysia than in Singapore. However, regulations require that Singapore registered cars leaving Singapore have at least 3/4 of a tank of fuel.
Singapore as a net exporter of refined petrol
As a result of the high petrol refining capacity in Singapore, Singapore is a net exporter of refined petroleum. ExxonMobil's refineries in Jurong IslandJurong Island
Jurong Island is an artificial island located to the southwest of the main island of Singapore, off Jurong Industrial Estate. It was formed from the amalgamation of seven offshore islands, the islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau, Pulau Pesek, Pulau Pesek Kechil , Pulau...
and Singapore has a 605,000 barrel capacity. Shell's 500,000 barrels-per-day Bukom
Pulau Bukom
Pulau Bukom, also known as Pulau Bukum, is a small island located about five kilometres to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The size of Pulau Bukom is about 1.45 km²....
refinery exports 90% of its products to other countries. The Singapore Refining Company has a 285,000 barrel capacity refinery which is a 50/50 venture between Chevron and SPC, though part of the Chevron stake was previously owned by British Petroleum. The United States, in contrast, has a shortage of oil refining capacity resulting in about 10% of petrol being imported as a refined product, as opposed to crude oil, some of it being imported from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, a country that does not have significant oil drilling.
Effects of the price of petrol in Singapore on the Australian market
The wholesale price of Mogas 95 unleaded petrol is the regional benchmark, including the benchmark price for Australia. This is a result of Singapore having a large refining capacity. In 2005, Australia imported 29% of its petrol and diesel needs, of which 80% came from Singapore. The retail price of Australian petrol is thus influenced by the wholesale price of petrol in Singapore.Foreign assessment of Singapore motoring
The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) submitted a report to the World Bank citing the objective of government regulation of motoring as congestion reduction with positive side effects of revenue collection and pollution control. It stated that the ERP system was fair, convenient, reliable and effective at that goals were reached.An expatriate advice website states that "driving in Singapore and owning a car is very expensive."
Wired, notes that "Singapore ... is a living laboratory for intelligent transport systems, a catch-all phrase for high tech strategies to gather data, manage flow, and inform drivers of congestion ahead. Traffic does indeed move noticeably smoother here than in American metropolitan areas of comparable size - Atlanta, for instance."
Measures to reduce vehicle usage
Several steps have to be completed before a car-owner can drive the vehicle in Singapore. A Certificate of EntitlementCertificate of Entitlement
The Certificate of Entitlement , instituted by the government of Singapore since May 1990, is a program designed to limit car ownership and hence the number of vehicles on the country's roads...
(COE) is required, costing several thousand Singapore dollar
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
s to successful bidders. This permits ownership of the vehicle for a period of 10 years after which the vehicle must be scrapped or another COE paid for allowing an additional 5 or 10 years of usage. Only 10 year COEs may be further renewed. 5 year COEs may not be renewed.
Certain roads and expressways in Singapore are subject to the Electronic Road Pricing
Electronic Road Pricing
The Electronic Road Pricing scheme is an electronic toll collection scheme adopted in Singapore to manage traffic by road pricing, and as a usage-based taxation mechanism to complement the purchase-based Certificate of Entitlement system...
(ERP) system.
COEs and the ERP system are intended to encourage people to use public transport such as the MRT
Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
instead of driving.
External links
- Land Transport Authority
- Schematic drawing of ERP system which uses pair of gantries and 5 step detection sequence http://www.worldbank.org/transport/utsr/budapest/mar1am/breitanx.pdf
- TripSum.com(Efxsoft Solutions): 1st online Fuel/ ERP/ Taxi fare calculator to check and calculate Fuel, ERP and Taxi Fare amount needed for a motorist's driving trip or taxi trip in Singapore
- Replacement of Driving Licence