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COE-exempt registration plates for school buses sell for up to $30k in resale market

Jeffrey Foo , a 70-year-old school bus driver with the "CB" registration plate, pictured with his bus on January 31, 2023. These are disappearing from our roads as the Land Transport Authority has stopped issuing new ones. Such plates are transferrable and the buses using them are not required to pay for a certificate of entitlement (COE), making them very valuable in the secondary market.

Jeffrey Foo , a 70-year-old school bus driver with the "CB" registration plate, pictured with his bus, on Jan 31, 2023.

ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Lee Nian Tjoe

SINGAPORE – In the past year, second-generation school bus operator Chris Yip, 45, has sold some older school buses from his family business.

These buses are registered under licences that exempt the vehicle from needing a certificate of entitlement (COE), which makes them attractive to some bus companies due to the significant cost savings. But the strict regulations around their use reduce their appeal to other operators.