ERP, COE bidding to remain suspended next month

Electronic road pricing (ERP) and certificate of entitlement (COE) bidding will continue to be suspended next month, and will resume only when the extended circuit breaker period ends on June 1.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that unused COEs which are due to expire on or after April 7 this year will have their validity automatically extended by three months.

As for owners who wish to renew the COE on their existing vehicles, the prevailing quota premium (PQP) - a moving average of COE premiums which they pay - will be based on the figures for the months before the first circuit breaker kicked in.

That is, the PQP for May and June will be based on the average of premiums for tenders held in January, February and March.

Vehicle inspection deadlines for private cars will be extended by six months for vehicles which are due for inspection within the circuit breaker period, or between June 2 and June 21, both dates inclusive.

LTA said it will allow the road tax for such cars to be renewed for six months if they have valid insurance coverage.

Goods vehicles, buses, taxis, private-hire cars and motorcycles will still be required to go for periodic inspections as scheduled.

Meanwhile, seal inspection for off-peak cars will be waived for those whose road tax due date falls within the circuit breaker period, or between June 2 and June 21.

Owners who are disposing of deregistered vehicles will be given an additional two-month grace period to do so because all LTA-authorised scrapyards, export-processing zones as well as other vehicle exporters are currently not in operation.

Those whose disposal deadline falls within one month from the end of the circuit breaker period - between June 2 and July 2 - will be given a one-month extension.

Owners of vehicles eligible for the Early Turnover Scheme (ETS) who deregister their vehicles, or whose one-month deadline for registration of a replacement vehicle falls within the circuit breaker period, will be given an additional two months to register a replacement vehicle under ETS.

Those whose deadline for registering a replacement vehicle falls within one month from the end of the circuit breaker period (between June 2 and July 2) will be given a further one-month extension to register a replacement vehicle.

Vehicle owners are still required to ensure their vehicles have valid road tax and motor insurance coverage. Heavy vehicle owners who require a vehicle parking certificate may apply on LTA-DBC_Registry@lta.gov.sg, the authority said.

Asked where COE premiums would head once the circuit breaker is lifted, Motor Traders Association president Glenn Tan said: "I think for June, it really depends on what the measures are going to be after the enhanced circuit breaker period - whether or not we can go to full operations in June."

Some observers have said that life would take several months to return to pre-outbreak days even after the circuit breaker period.

Mr Neo Nam Heng, chairman of diversified motor group Prime, said the industry would appreciate early information on what the COE supply will be when bidding resumes.

"Without this, it will be very hard for anyone to plan," he said.