|
Buying a new or used car
|
Sydney:
Australian scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation (Csiro) are warning that the
reassuring smell of a new car actually contains high levels of
toxic air emissions that can make drivers ill. They found
that cars gave off high levels of toxins for six months or
longer after they had left the showroom. To avoid this
"toxic cocktail", people should ensure that plenty of
outside air gets into the car while they are driving for at
least six months, said Mr Steve Brown, head of Csiro's
air-quality control unit. (Straits Times
20 Dec 2001)(H8) |
Before you start looking around for a car,
there are a few things you need to know first. In Singapore, owning a car
is not exactly cheap. Let's go through the steps one by one:
First, you need a valid driving licence. You need to produce a medical
certificate if you are over 60 years old. You may convert your foreign
driving licence to Singapore driving licence at the Licensing Section of
the Traffic Police.
If you are buying a brand new car, you will first need to
buy a Certificate of Entitlement. With this certificate, you can purchase
the car you want. If you wish to get a second-hand car, skip this blue
paragraph.
Certificate of Entitlement - Quota
Premiums (2000)
|
Period |
Category A (1600cc
& below) |
Category B (1601
cc & above) |
Open Category |
|
Jan
2002 |
S$28,010 |
S$31,101 |
S$31,001 |
|
COE
Prices for other periods |
Cost of Certificate of
Entitlement S$ xx xxx
Cost of new
car
S$xxx xxx CURRENCY CONVERTER
Total
Cost
S$xxx xxx
Remember, the cost of your new car includes a registration fee of 150% of
its open market value (OMV).
Also remember, a COE is valid for ten years from the
date of registration of the vehicle. You will need to pay a fee to renew
this COE for another five or ten years. If you renew for five years only,
you have to scrap the car at the end of that period. You can't renew for
another five years.
Next you need to pay a registration fee : S$1 000
for private registration
S$5 000 for company registration
Buyers of
second-hand cars need to pay a transfer fee of 2% of the assessed value of
the car. The Registry of Vehicles (ROV) will calculate this amount for
you. You also need to pay the road tax if it has expired. Your car
insurance must be valid. Transfer of ownership must be done within seven
days of the purchase.
The road tax payable is as follows: 1 000cc &
below S$0.70 per cc per annum
1 001 to 1 600cc S$0.90 per cc per annum
1 601 to 2 000cc S$1.05 per cc per annum
2 000 to 3 000cc S$1.75 per cc per annum
3 001 & above S$1.75 per cc
per annum
Renewal of road tax can be done half-yearly or yearly.
All motor-cars which are over ten years old must undergo an annual
inspection.
All motor-cars over ten years old are subject to the following surcharges:
10<11 years
10%
13<14 years 40%
11<12 years
20%
14 years & above 50%
12<13 years 30%
Your car must be covered by third party accident insurance.
Congratulations! You have got your car. Next, keep in mind the following:
- You need to pay a fee when you drive into the Restricted Zone.
There are gantry posts clearly marked to warn you when you approach this
Zone.
- You need to pay a fee when you use certain expressways and roads. This
Electronic Road Pricing Scheme (ERP) is a form of pricing system in which
you pay according to what roads you use.
- You cannot drive in the bus lanes at certain areas during the Bus Lanes
Operating Hours which are as follows:
Weekdays -
7.30 am to 9.30 am & 4.30 pm to 7.00 pm
Saturdays - 7.30 am to 9.30 am &
11.30 am to 2.00 pm
- There is a Driver Improvement Point System in force in Singapore in
which each driver is allowed to accumulate upto 23 demerit points within
two years. If the driver a accumulates 24 or more demerit points within
the period, he/she will be suspended from driving. So, try not to commit
any traffic offences.
News Snippets
2005
-
New vehicle registration & licensing scheme by 2006
|
All rights reserved
