Flatter COE supply curve may lead to more stable but not necessarily lower prices

A slew of non-supply factors needs to be addressed, along with a need to recognise that over-reliance on ownership measures will keep prices on an upward trend.

Usage matters: The level of road congestion is not determined solely by the size of the car population. PHOTO: ST FILE
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Two things are clear from Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat’s reply to a flurry of questions related to certificates of entitlement (COEs) in Parliament on Monday.

One, the Government is not convinced that private-hire vehicle operators are contributing to persistently high premiums. Two, the relatively new zero-population-growth policy for cars introduced in 2018 is here to stay.

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