More COEs next year but free train rides deferred

During Channel NewsAsia's Ask Minister programme, which was broadcast yesterday, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew took questions on a broad range of transport issues, from the increase of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) supply to offering free trains rides.

He also stressed that the Government is doing its utmost to make public transport as convenient as possible.

On the topic of COE, Mr Lui noted that the supply would go up over the next few years as more cars are deregistered, though it is unclear how prices would move. In the last bidding exercise, COEs for smaller cars cost nearly $17,000 more than the those for cars in CAT B. Mr Lui said it will take several bidding cycles over the next few months before COE premiums stabilise.

Mr Lui said, "For those who want to own a car now, I would advise that if they can defer the decision till a little bit later on, when the COE supply actually picks up in 2014, that may be a better time to revisit the situation then."

On the possibility of offering free train travel before the morning peak hour, Mr Lui said he has not decided between that and providing a significantly higher fare discount. Commuters are currently given a discount of 50 cents when they exit at certain stations in the city before 7:45am. Mr Lui said city-bound commuters experience the most congestion from 8:30am to 9:30am. He hopes to encourage 10 percent to 20 percent of commuters to travel earlier.

Mr Lui also said he is focused on increasing the frequency and reliability of buses. When most of the 550 buses the Government is looking to add - as part of a $1.1 billion plan - are rolled out, the minister hopes to see buses arrive every eight to ten minutes.

On what he wants to see over the next two years, Mr Lui said that he hoped it will be a lot more convenient and just as affordable for all who use the public transport system, if not more so than what it is today.