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This article was not reviewed by Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) or any other relevant authorities.
Have you just entered the workforce or have been working for years already? Well either way at some point in your life you would consider whether you should get a vehicle or just continue using public transportation as your mode of transportation.
Public Transportation
On a daily basis, the majority would be taking buses or trains with the exception of sometimes taking taxis or private hire vehicles like grab or gojek.
Advantages
There are different types of concession cards for buses and trains that would be cost saving if you’re the type of person who uses public transport regularly. Additionally there are many credit cards offered by various banks for cashback when used for transportation. There is also an Ez-link application where you’re about to directly top up your card, earn points to redeem items such as Old Chang Kee.
Singapore’s transportation is quite extensive with further improvements such as the building of the Thomson-East Coast line. The transportation system would be able to bring you to the majority of the places in Singapore.
Disadvantage
However, you would only be able to commute within the means of public transport. Trains and buses do not go everywhere so for the most part, walking would be required.
Furthermore, it is time sensitive where you would only be able to catch the public transport during it’s working hours which starts around five in the morning and ends about eleven or twelve at night.
A period of time of your day would have to be allocated to waiting for the train or the bus to arrive. When it comes to the peak period, the public transport would be quite crowded and you might have to wait for the next one which costs more time.
Private Transportation
The luxury of driving your own vehicle sounds fantastic right? But is it more worth it than public transport?
Advantage
Owning your own vehicle allows you to travel to areas that lack public transport, despite requiring walking, it would still be short as compared to taking the public transport. The main advantage would be the comfort of commuting where you would not have to squeeze in crowded trains or buses. Additionally you would be saving time waiting for the bus or train to arrive. With your own vehicle, you are able to travel anytime and anywhere.
Disadvantage
There are many factors to consider especially when it comes to cost such as the cost of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE), petrol fuel, maintenance, insurance cost and loans.
During peak periods, you would have to deal with being stuck in traffic jams, finding parking spaces especially in densely populated areas. With the addition of a parking fee and if you have to travel to the central business district area, there would be electronic road pricing costs at certain times.
Conclusion
It is important to weigh the pros and cons in terms of your needs and wants. The most crucial factor to consider is your ability to afford a private vehicle or not which is being aware of your financial situation that you’re in.
