CERTIFICATES OF ENTITLEMENT FROM THE OPEN CATEGORY

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Communications whether the open catgory of Certificates of Entitlement will set the trend towards bigger cars which cause more pollution, and if he will scrap this category.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: A Certificate of Entitlement (COE) from the Open Category can be used to register any type of vehicle. This is to allow the market some flexibility in determining the vehicle mix according to changes in demand. The domination of the Open Category by buyers of bigger cars is a reflection of the current strong demand for bigger cars.

It does not follow that bigger cars cause more pollution. All vehicles, big or small, have to comply with the same strict emission standards before they can be registered for use here. At present, the Registry of Vehicles adopts internationally accepted emission standards for petrol-powered vehicles. These standards in fact impose lower and hence more stringent emission limits for bigger cars than smaller cars.

My Ministry sees no reason for scrapping the Open Category.