Motorists switching to cheaper alternatives amid rising pump prices
By Tan Dawn Wei
Some have given up the car entirely and moved to public transport, others downgraded to smaller cars or two-wheelers; while a growing number have opted for hybrid engines. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA
WITH pump prices heading north, motorists here are switching to cheaper alternatives.
Some have given up the car entirely and moved to public transport, others downgraded to smaller cars or two-wheelers; while a growing number have opted for hybrid engines.
There's even a six-month waiting time for those keen to kit their cars out to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) because of a sudden surge in demand, according to motor workshops.
Hybrid cars - that switch between petrol and electricity - also shot up in the same period, going by the Land Transport Authority's numbers. Another 289 are now plugged in, to bring the total to 1,346.
And although COE prices are relatively low, dealers say business is slow.
The number of bids received every month has fallen since the beginning of this year, another indicator that consumers are staying away from buying new cars.
--------------------- cheaper to take taxi now??
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