Target growth rate for cars to be cut further

Singapore would further cut its cap growth rate for the number of vehicles on the roads next year, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said.

Lui did not specify how much lower the target growth rate will be but said the details would be announced in later this month, according to Xinhua News.

The target growth rate for the number of vehicles was cut from 3 percent to 1.5 percent in 2009 in the last revision.

Lui said the further cut was due to a considerable scale-down of the road network in the city state.

"In the recent decade, I think the roads have grown by about one percent and going forward, we think it probably will grow only about 0.5 percent per annum," Lui told the local media.

"You can't allow it to grow at the rates in past years simply because the road networks are not expanding as what we have done before," local broadcaster Channel NewsAsia quoted Lui as saying.

Singapore has been known as one of the first cities to use a pricing system to ease congestion in the central business district during the peak hours.

Lui, however, said that there is a limit to what can be done through congestion pricing and that the government is trying to find a balance.

Nevertheless, Lui ruled the possibility of a zero-percent population growth for the number of vehicles.

"Notwithstanding whatever it is, we try to improve on the public transport system and there are those who feel that they really need a car. They have elderly, sickly parents around and it is a lot more convenient, so we understand all that," he said.