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I refer to Mr Charlie Tan’s letter, “ ” (April 25). The basic premise of his letter – that all average Singaporeans should get the chance to own a car – is not aligned with global and national efforts to reduce carbon emissions. It also reduces space in our land-scarce country, which would be taken up by roads and spaces allocated for parking cars. The certificate of entitlement (COE) system remains a tough but necessary inhibitor of car ownership, to support the use of public transport. However, it cannot function alone. If people are to be convinced to forgo private car ownership and use public transport, then these systems must remain convenient. They are already far more cost-friendly than privately owned cars. As far as public transport goes, ours is world-class. There are few places in the country that cannot be easily accessed through a combination of public transport modes and maybe a few minutes of walking. For the non-ambulant and those with disabilities, what is needed is cost-effective, shared specialised transport suited to their needs. This way, even those who can afford a private car would not feel compelled to own one as they would have a viable means of transport they could hire. We also need to continue to improve the cycling network infrastructure, not just in terms of routes and cycling lanes, but also in having secure bicycle storage and public shower facilities. Finally, to ensure more equality among car owners, perhaps there should be a cap on COEs: a maximum of one privately owned vehicle per individual and two per household. In the end, the COE system is just part of a larger equation to reduce our transport-related carbon emissions. Behavioural change is needed, where people willingly choose to use other forms of transport.