Singapore to cap car numbers to prevent gridlock

Singapore, one of the most expensive places in the world to buy a vehicle, will freeze the number of private cars on its roads for at least two years, a rare move in Asia where many cities are increasingly gridlocked.

The city-state said the growth cap for all passenger cars and motorcycles will be cut to zero from 0.25 percent a year in February, while pledging a new multi-billion-dollar investment in the public transport network.

The measure, to be reviewed in 2020, is an extension of Singapore's already tough controls on vehicle ownership, which have helped the nation of 5.6 million avoid the traffic jams that choke other Asian cities.

As well as controlling the number of vehicles on the roads, special certificates valid for 10 years must be purchased along with a car, pushing the price of an average sedan to over Sg$110,000 ($80,000) -- about four times the price in the US.

Nevertheless many have still paid the hefty price for the convenience of having their own vehicle. There were more than 600,000 private cars in Singapore at the end of 2016.

Singapore's approach is rare in Asia where the blistering pace of urban development in recent decades has often been accompanied by unchecked growth of car and motorbike ownership, spawning huge traffic jams in many major cities.

The capitals of Indonesia and Malaysia, Singapore's two closest neighbours, both suffer serious gridlock on an almost daily basis, with poor public transport systems an unattractive option and many residents viewing car ownership as a status symbol.