Transportation
An illustration of the licensing system in action. The picture on the left was taken during the restricted period of the day,
while the one on the right was taken during open hours.
Besides implementing one of the most successful public housing programs in the world, Singapore has also succeeded in keeping their streets gridlock free. Residents rely heavily on mass transportation because car ownership is strictly controlled, making owning a car ridiculously expensive.
Cars
There is a tight quota system limiting the increase in car ownership to 3% per year. This is done through a certification process. Buyers must purchase a certificate to buy a car at monthly auctions. Certificate prices can as much as double the price of a new car, effectively keeping the purchases down.
Another program effecting cars is a licensing sysem that allows only a few cars into the CBD during business hours of the day. This keeps the traffic in the area to a minimum.
Currently the ratio of cars to people is 1:10 (Perry 180).
Public Transportation
Singapore has an excellent public transportation system including a state of the art MRT (Mass Rapid Transit System) which was completed in 1989 and a comprehensive bus service.