Singapore to stop adding cars to the roads from February 2018

Singapore, one of the world’s most expensive places to own a vehicle, will not allow any growth in its car population from February, citing the small city state’s land scarcity and billions of dollars in planned public transport investments.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it was cutting the permissible vehicle growth rate in the city state to 0 per cent from the current 0.25 per cent per annum for cars and motorcycles. The rate will be reviewed in 2020.

Singapore tightly controls its vehicle population by setting an annual growth rate and through a system of bidding for the right to own and use a vehicle for a limited number of years.

It is one of the most densely populated nations on the planet and already has an extensive public transport system.

Currently, 12 per cent of Singapore’s total land area is taken up by roads, according to the LTA.

“In view of land constraints and competing needs, there is limited scope for further expansion of the road network,” it said.