Singapore freezes private car ownership to fight congestion

Enlarge (credit: Marco Verch)

Singapore is capping the number of private passenger cars allowed on its streets, the city's transportation regulator announced on Monday.

Singapore is a city of 5.6 million people packed into an area smaller than New York City. Like any big city it has to worry about traffic congestion, but as a sovereign city-state it is able to take more extreme measures than most cities.

To own a car in Singapore, you need a certificate of entitlement from the Singapore government. The supply is limited, and certificates are distributed by auction. Each year, the government sets a target for the growth of private vehicles and auctions off a corresponding number of certificates. Next year, the growth target will be zero.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments