Charge motorists for usage, not ownership

I LIVE in Choa Chu Kang and twice a week, I visit and help look after my 90-year-old mother who lives in Tampines. I ferry her around the Tampines/Changi/Pasir Ris area for hospital visits and to the seaside.

I usually visit her during off-peak hours and do not contribute to city congestion.

I also make frequent trips to my mountain lodge in Seremban, Malaysia, and the Choa Chu Kang/Lim Chu Kang/Sungei Tengah area, and again do not contribute to congestion.

Why then do I have to pay $82,000 for a certificate of entitlement (COE), whose purpose is to relieve congestion on busy Singapore roads during peak hours?

It is time for the Government to take immediate measures to reform or abolish the COE system.

The Land Transport Authority should provide us with a detailed plan of when it intends to implement satellite tracking of all vehicles here.

When satellite tracking is implemented, COEs would become a thing of the past. Usage, and not ownership, would be the criterion for regulating congestion on our roads.

The Government should also increase the lifespan of a vehicle from 10 to 15 years. This will enable small and medium-sized enterprises to lower their operating costs, improve productivity and rein in spiralling inflation.

Patrick Low