Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun 08;
SINGAPORE: Petrol prices have gone up a staggering 12 times since last July with the latest price hike announced just last month.
Reports have it that public transport ridership has hit a record high of 4.78 million rides a day – a phenomenon that could also be due to increased capacity on trains and buses.
Even though it is still a challenge to find someone who has given up his or her car for public transport, Mr Lim Peng Han – who has done just that – tells of the merits of ditching private for public transport.
The 69-year-old retiree has sold his 1.3 litre Seat Ibiza after 40 years of driving.
He said: "I get savings of around S$400 because the cost of petrol has gone up so much. I take public transport, which is so convenient – buses and trains are air-conditioned."
Car dealers also said business is considerably slower now after the boom in the fourth quarter of last year. One company said it sees only about four to five customers on weekdays.
Nonetheless, the maddening morning rush hour squeeze means that for many Singaporeans who have already tasted the convenience of car ownership, going public is not an option.
Hoon Chieng Ming, a bank officer who gave up his 2-litre Subaru Forester for a motorbike, said: "After being a car owner for five or six years, it's something that's really difficult to give up."
Having made the switch to a bike, Mr Hoon said he now forks out less than S$100 a month for petrol.
Fuel prices aside, motorists in Singapore also have to contend with the 60 or so ERP gantries islandwide.- CNA/so
