Gov’t ‘open to’ reviewing proposed one-off vehicle population boost with increased user-based charges

User-based charges, however, can't prevent traffic congestion alone, said Minister Chee.

The Ministry of Transport is “open to” reviewing proposals to implement a one-off increase in Singapore’s total vehicle population accompanied by higher usage-based charges to prevent traffic congestion.

Saktiandi Supaat, a member of the People's Action Party, has proposed the implementation of distance-based charging, which can increase Singapore's vehicle population by a specific percentage whilst still adhering to the nation's vision of becoming car-lite.

Several lawmakers have also suggested similar measures.

In response to the Parliament, Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat underscored that “trade-offs are not straightforward and need to be studied carefully before a decision is made.”

“Some stakeholders such as taxi, PHC, and delivery drivers will likely pay higher usage-based charges as they drive longer distances. We will need to examine the impact on these groups, though usage-based charging is in principle a fair approach,” Chee said.

The transport minister added that relying solely on usage-based charges to prevent traffic congestion is “not feasible.”

“These would have to be set at very high rates, which might not be acceptable to many car owners. Usage-based charges need to work in tandem with ownership controls and other measures like parking charges to achieve a more balanced and sustainable outcome for all stakeholders whilst ensuring smooth traffic on our roads,” Chee added.