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With roads being the scarce resource, we can either allocate the resource via free market mechanism, via quota, or some balance in between. There are no other solutions. No one way is perfect, and whatever choice taken by the government is going to make certain segment of the population unhappy.
Often ordinary folks will cite having young kids, aging parents etc as reasons why they need a car, and want the government to help them. They have vested interest; they want preferential treatment.
For these people, I would argue that many of them merely want the convenience of owning a car. I can understand that it can be highly inconvenient travelling on public transport with young kids or babies. I can also understand that it can be difficult at times to get a cab when needed. Without a car, some people feel that a lot of adjustments have to be made, it can be highly inconvenient and it can be quite frustrating.
But to argue that its a need would be a stretch.
Convenience is luxury in life, like some forummers has put it. With limited tax dollars, and the government would need to consider whether its wise to subsidise such a luxury. However imperfect the COE/ERP system it, it seems logical to me that the government continue to work on improving the public transport system (MRT/bus/taxi) as that is where the highest returns on the tax dollars will be gained. To move away from a market system which generally allocate resources better would, in my view, be a mistake. Whether we tune it with higher front loading of the cost of ownership, back loading, or usage based, we are still facing high costs. Its unlikely to please people who are arguing that its expensive to own cars now.
Often ordinary folks will cite having young kids, aging parents etc as reasons why they need a car, and want the government to help them. They have vested interest; they want preferential treatment.
For these people, I would argue that many of them merely want the convenience of owning a car. I can understand that it can be highly inconvenient travelling on public transport with young kids or babies. I can also understand that it can be difficult at times to get a cab when needed. Without a car, some people feel that a lot of adjustments have to be made, it can be highly inconvenient and it can be quite frustrating.
But to argue that its a need would be a stretch.
Convenience is luxury in life, like some forummers has put it. With limited tax dollars, and the government would need to consider whether its wise to subsidise such a luxury. However imperfect the COE/ERP system it, it seems logical to me that the government continue to work on improving the public transport system (MRT/bus/taxi) as that is where the highest returns on the tax dollars will be gained. To move away from a market system which generally allocate resources better would, in my view, be a mistake. Whether we tune it with higher front loading of the cost of ownership, back loading, or usage based, we are still facing high costs. Its unlikely to please people who are arguing that its expensive to own cars now.