Several MPs from both sides of the political aisle have questioned the timing of the petrol duty increases, even before Singapore has built up sufficient infrastructure for the mass adoption of EVs. Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, who was among five MPs who spoke about the issue, said that the petrol duties should not have been increased immediately. Rather, he felt it should have been a “phased and gradual increase” that is in step with the availability of EVs as a realistic consumer choice, along with the rise in their numbers on the roads. He understood that the nudge towards environment-friendly vehicles is central to the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a key plank of the Government’s environmental strategy. However, he said that there was “much frustration and unhappiness on the ground” with respect to the timing of the hike to support this goal. “The main reason for this is that the infrastructure and registration regime for a greater adoption of EVs have not even been rolled out, but yet, the petrol duty hike was implemented immediately on Budget day.”... Continue Reading