S1E84: Is owning a car in Singapore now out of reach?

The Straits Times Podcasts · Feb 26, 2026 · 35m

Will the recent changes to the preferential additional registration fee (PARF) rebate and the current COE prices turn away car buyers?

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Budget speech on Feb 12 that the PARF rebate will be lowered by 45 percentage points.

The maximum rebate a car owner can expect to receive will be halved from $60,000 to $30,000.

If you're looking to buy a car, should you go for a new car, a second-hand ICE vehicle, or just give up that dream altogether?

In this episode of The Usual Place, ST’s senior transport correspondent Lee Nian Tjoe and veteran…