WHAT IS POLITICS?

Is politics merely a battle of iron wills,
Truth and facts, it conveniently kills?
Or is it an honest meeting of minds,
To conciliate opinions of different kinds?

TIME TO SCRAP THE UNNECESSARY COE SYSTEM

LTA's latest modification to the COE system is grossly inadequate and highly disappointing. It is therefore unsurprising that it has attracted much immediate criticism and disagreement from many quarters, ranging from industry experts to green campaigners and from media watchers to ordinary motorists.

There are many reasons why the COE system fails to provide an efficient, fair and stable  method of easing traffic congestion.

Firstly, from its inception in 1990 till today, LTA used an auction system to allocate COEs. The inherent intention of any auction is to obtain the highest possible price for whatever that is being auctioned.  Therefore, whichever the system of categorization of COEs, however the method of modification and whatever the secondary rules you have, the richer bidders will always be favored. The lack of social equity will remain.  Merely labeling cars as an unnecessary luxury will not placate the frustrated aspirations of ordinary Singaporeans. After all, cars are actually not that expensive, but are artificially made expensive through high taxation and the imposition of a high ransom called the COE.

Secondly, the original purpose of preventing traffic congestion has been largely forgotten or ignored. Too much time and energy are spent tweaking the COE system. To ensure smooth flow of traffic, the first requisite is to control our car population. This can be easily achieved without resorting to expensive and troublesome COEs! For example, we can effortlessly freeze our car population tomorrow by stipulating that every new car registered must be accompanied by the de-registration of another vehicle by the buyer. First time buyers can only buy second-hand cars.  Overnight, control of our car population is achieved without a single additional cent changing hands. This will be fair and make life better for everyone irrespective of wealth.

Thirdly, our excellent ERP system has not been fully utilized. To encourage the use of public transport and car-pooling, the quantum of ERP charges should be raised by a few multiples to prevent congestion in hotspots during peak hours.

Fourthly, the LTA had stressed repeatedly that the COE system is implemented solely to prevent traffic congestion and never to generate revenue.  One wonders whether we should continue to trust LTA's word that the $50 billion collected through the COE system is purely incidental and unintended. Or will conspiracy theorists begin to feel that the continued failure of the COE system is cynically intended by design to ensure a smooth flow of revenue!

Over the last 23 years, much time, money and effort had been spent on implementing the COE system. Yet, our roads are still congested, prospective car buyers are still frustrated, many car dealers have gone bust, car owners are heavily burdened financially, and our inflation rate has been adversely affected.

Why do we continue to use this inefficient, unfair and unnecessary COE system, making life difficult for everyone?

A RARE LIVERPOOL MOMENT: THAT TOP-OF-THE-TABLE FEELING, HOWEVER FLEETING IT MAY BE...

Liverpool fans will long remember 1st September 2013.  It was a rare day of satisfaction for all their fans worldwide when their team jumped to the top of the Premier League table after the extra bonus of defeating their arch-rivals Manchester United at home.

Though it is still early days in the new season, the signs are good.  They certainly deserve their present elevated position, being the only Premier League team with a perfect record of 3 wins, 3 clean sheets and being 2 points clear.

Thanks to a couple of international matches interrupting the League program, Liverpool fans can prolong their delusive happiness a little longer, at least until their next League match with Swansea on the 16th.  So, let's not deny the long-suffering Liverpool fans (since 1990) their fleeting moment of glory!