The utility of a car in singapore is very different from other places. Yes, a car will get you faster from point A to point B in singapore when compared to public transport. But you can get a private hire car or a taxi which is just as fast and is probably much more convenient.

For many people in Singapore, a car's real utility is to signal status. More often than not, this status gets you real-life benefits. Such as increased dating success.

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fhe 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

interestingly enough though, car ownership, and even having a driver's license is increasingly less common among the young.

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jimmydef 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Yes, because when adjusted to car ownership costs, the young have a lower purchasing power when compared to the older generation at the same age back then.

	▲	eru 38 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I'm not sure that's a good lens to look through: the total number of cars in Singapore is fixed, and ownership cost adjusts (via the CoE auction) to balance supply and demand. So there's no drop in total car ownership to explain: that one is held fixed. What we'd need to explain is why comparatively more older people and fewer younger people drive.

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jnaina an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

For Singapore's boomers, success once meant the 5 Cs: cash, car, credit card, condominium and country club. For today's young Singaporeans, these no longer define success.