Aim of COE

-Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) give Singaporeans the right to own a vehicle. 
-COEs are integral to the Vehicle Quota System (VQS), a landmark scheme implemented to regulate the growth of vehicle population in Singapore which is among the densest in the world

Certificate of Entitlement (COE)

Certificate of Entitlement

The certificate of Entitlement (COE), was instituted by the government of Singapore since May 1990, is a program designed to limit car ownership and hence the number of vehicles on the country's roads. This system in effect requires residents of Singapore to bid for the right to buy a motor vehicle, with the number of certificates deliberately restricted.


The COE allows holders to own a car for a period of 10 years, after which they must scrap or export their car with financial incentives or bid for another COE at the prevailing rate if they wish to continue using their car for a further 5 or 10 years.

Disadvantages of ERPs

1. Low Income Earners

- The introduction of Electronic Road Pricing system will affect the people with lower incomes as their expenditure will increase

2. Movement of congestion from motorway to side roads

- In order to avoid using paid roads, drivers will try to shift their journeys to side roads and thus increasing the traffic congestion elsewhere

3. Privacy of drivers

- The fact that the system can record the movements of people using the charged road, the data can be used for other purposes, against them. 

Advantages of ERPs

Fair  Charges are based on usage so those who contribute more to the congestion pay more. Those who use the roads less frequently or who travel during non-ERP hours will pay less or not need to pay at all. Convenient  Motorists need not purchase daily/monthly licences. Reliable As a fully automated system, there is no risk of human error as human enforcement is not required.  The LTA reported that road traffic decreased by nearly 25,000 vehicles during peak hours, with average road speeds increasing by about 20%. Within the restricted zone itself, traffic has gone down by about 13% during ERP operational hours, with vehicle numbers dropping from 270,000 to 235,000. It has been observed that car-pooling has increased, while the hours of peak vehicular traffic has also gradually eased and spread into off-peak hours, suggesting a more productive use of road space.

AIM of ERPs

- A motorist is encouraged to decide whether to drive, when to and where to
- He may choose a different route, mode of transport, time of travel or not travel at all
- Those who pay and stay on the road which enjoy a smoother ride

ERP In Operation!