EIGHT in 10 people want certificates of entitlement (COE) to be recategorised.

Nearly half of them preferred using a vehicle's open market value (OMV) to separate mass market cars from luxury models. Others cited criteria such as engine power, engine capacity, family friendliness and carbon emissions.

This was one of the findings from a two-month public consultation exercise held by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), as it explores ways to make vehicle ownership more socially equitable.

About 3,700 respondents were polled in an online survey, with another 200 taking part in focus group discussions and interviews. The LTA shared the main findings of its consultation with members of the public, academics and the motor industry on Monday night.

Cars are currently grouped by engine capacity, with those at 1,600cc or below in Category A and those above 1,600cc in Category B.

The poll also found that nearly eight in 10 people think that a surcharge should be levied on individuals or households owning multiple cars.