Phua, Stephen L.H. --- "Land Transportation in Singapore: Tax and Regulatory Policies to Promote Sustainable Development" [2011] ELECD 727; in Cullen, Richard; VanderWolk, Jefferson; Xu, Yan (eds), "Green Taxation in East Asia" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Green Taxation in East Asia

Editor(s): Cullen, Richard; VanderWolk, Jefferson; Xu, Yan

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781849803007

Section: Chapter 4

Section Title: Land Transportation in Singapore: Tax and Regulatory Policies to Promote Sustainable Development

Author(s): Phua, Stephen L.H.

Number of pages: 26

Extract:

4. Land transportation in Singapore:
tax and regulatory policies to
promote sustainable development
Stephen L.H. Phua

1. INTRODUCTION

With sustained economic growth, the demand for private transporta-
tion becomes an aspiration for those with increased disposable income.
This poses a huge urban planning challenge for major cities as the trend
towards urbanization continues unabated. Today, half of the world's
population lives in urban areas. Based on current trend projections, the
world will become primarily urbanized by 2050 with the main source of
population growth emanating from urban areas.1
In Singapore, the land transportation sector accounts for about 19 per
cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, 13 per cent of our overall energy
consumption and 50 per cent of the fine particulate matter (specifically
PM2.5) in the air.2 Land Transport Authority (LTA), the statutory board
charged with the key responsibility of managing land transportation, has
identified several major targets for reducing energy consumption and pol-
lution by 2030. The main strategies to be adopted are: (a) control vehicle
population and discourage usage; (b) promote the use of public transport;3
(c) improve fuel economy; (d) promote the use of green vehicles; 4 and (e)
facilitate the use of alternative transport modes.



1 UN-HABITAT, State of the World's Cities Report 2010/2011 Bridging the

Urban Divide, Earthscan, 2010, page IX.
2 Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development, "A Lively and

Liveable Singapore: Strategies for Sustainable Growth", Ministry of Environment
and Water Resources and Ministry of ...