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Something that was mentioned in 2002 which might take effect in 2006..... http://it.asia1.com.sg/newsdaily/news001_20020427.html LTA to set up Web-based car registration platform Move away from paper trail should help curb fraud By Christopher Tan , Business Times 27 Apr 2002 (SINGAPORE) The days of used-car brokers, scrap rebate traders and vehicular scams may be coming to an end. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be putting in place a sophisticated Web-enabled system that will eventually do away with all paper documentation. The vehicle registration & licensing (VRL) system will also allow motorists to sell their cars themselves - using a secured e-commerce platform that is accessible to anyone with an Internet account and a CPF-PAL PIN. For decades, motorists often had to go through an intermediary - usually a used-car dealer - because of complex paperwork and tiresome legwork. The VRL will facilitate financial transactions via Giro, Internet direct debit, or, perhaps, even credit cards. It will also incorporate interactive voice response, provide electronic authentication, and will be connected to a network of motor agents. The LTA has shortlisted about half a dozen firms - all foreign except one - to tender for the project. The tender should be awarded by the end of the year and the system, which replaces a two-decade-old format, should be up by 2006. The authority said it was too early to ascertain how much the system would cost, but sources reckoned it should be around $35 million. One reason why the project will take up to four years to complete is the tedious task of 'migrating' what is in the existing system over, according to LTA acting senior manager (vehicle services) Yeo Teck Guan. Mr Yeo said the decision to change was not based on capacity issues of the current system. Rather, he said, it was to improve service level, as the new format will be faster, more convenient, accessible, and more secure. It would also be ready for Singapore's islandwide on-line plans. 'We want an open architecture so that future technologies can simply be plugged in,' he said. The move is an extension to a scheme to go paperless which started last year, when the LTA stopped issuing physical COEs (certificates of entitlement to buy vehicles) and scrap certificates. In time, the new system will do away with a host of documents, including the ubiquitous road tax disc and ownership log card. The powerful system will be able to keep track of every vehicle from the time a buyer bids for a COE to the time the vehicle is finally scrapped. Besides being motorist-friendly, the VRL is likely to contribute to efficiency in the motor trade. For instance, it currently takes a trader about a day to complete a vehicle transfer - which entails travelling to and from LTA's office in Sin Ming Drive. With VRL, the process would be just a few mouse clicks away. The VRL will link up various relevant agencies, including insurance companies and the Customs & Excise Department. And because there will be no more paper documents, fraud and forgery - which has plagued the industry over the years - should be stamped out. Motorists who complain about the commissions made by industry brokers will welcome the VRL. With it, the transfer of scrap rebates or vehicle ownership should not have to go through any middleman. But there are still no plans to do away with transfer fees the LTA charges today. The LTA said traders need not link up if they did not wish to. http://www.ncs.com.sg/media/clipping.asp?C...lipping=showall NCS to help LTA roll out vehicle registration and licensing system by 2006. The Land Transport Authority has signed a $36 million deal with National Computer Systems to develop a new vehicle registration and licensing system. The system, to be ready in 2006, will replace the existing system which has been in place for 20 years. LTA said the new system would be one-stop, seamless and scripless. It will provide electronic payment modes and interface with the systems of other agencies, such as finance companies. The public can carry out their transactions through an interactive voice response system and the Internet. The contract requires NCS to operate and maintain the system for three years. The new system will result in 95 percent of transactions going online, and LTA expects shorter queues and less paperwork. Currently when a new car is registered, the motor trader personally submits documents to LTA. These are verified and the trader collects the log card and road tax disc in the afternoon. With the new system, he does not need to visit LTA at all. Information is submitted online. The system will run checks with other government bodies and confirmation is immediate. LTA said motorists could then print out the information from the system when they need to. The Automobile Association welcomed the new system. Mr Gerard Ee, President of the Automobile Association of Singapore, said: "Currently when you buy a new car, you sign a whole stack of documents. "In addition, you hand over your IC to a total stranger for quite a few days. There is some risk element involved. With this electronic system, you can sit beside a terminal with the sales person, complete all your transactions." However, because the new system will be linked to industry players, there is some concern. Mr Michael Wong, President of the Motor Traders Association of Singapore, said: "There are certain infomation which is sensitive to the individual dealers, so of course we would not like that to be floating around - technical information, pricing information so that's something traders would like to be kept confidential." Mr Lim Bok Ngam, Director of Vehicle and Transit Licensing Division, LTA, said: "We got to admit not every information can be made available to everybody, but where the appropriate people, where there is a need, we will make sure that it is available to them." While many of the transactions are expected to go online, LTA said there will still be several transactions that would require people to go to the counter personally. For example, making an appeal against a fine and providing proof for that appeal. Clearly there are limits for technology as well.

Dear All, Pardon me for being a newbies in here. I intend to buy a g-plate vehicle and i was told to take a look here. I believe there a plenty of newbies before me that ask this before. My reason for intention to buy: For my father, It has been my life long wish to give him a car or vehicle as present. Presently, he's working at a fish port (jurong). He love a double cab pick-up truck or a diesel van. I also own a bike for my own transport. I just hope to make my old dad happy! Situations: 1) I asked my friend who is in a car resale line, he told me that as long I sign up a undertaking forms, I can own a pick-up "G-plate". But the fact is that he doesn't have any g-plate vehicle left. SO i have to out source. 2) Saw this adver on newspaper, Proton Arena only 30k+. Went to proton sales at teban garden for a look. Salesman blur blur, say cannot buy unless company registered. I ask him about any undertaking forms, he can he will check it up. Days have passed, no contact from the salesman. 3)I tried to search the LTA web but no avail. I was just hoping any one out here own a G-plate vehicle and how to go about getting one. I hope to fulfill my dad's wish and find a G-plate which I can afford at about $400+ a month. Downpay can be negiotiated. Please help.

morning morning.. couldn't sleep la.. juz a nagging thought on the subject of CAI setup. for a NA vehicle, if the setup is on a ECU-run car or carburettor operated engine, what is the diff in performance? Pray tell :)

Hi ppl.. juz wondering whether these proposed mods would enhance my 'ancient' ride ;p i) E-power volt stabiliser ii) Exhaust system touch up (header, cat and muffler for low/mid-end torque) it's a Charade with a drop-in KNN filter at the moment.. kindly advise.. thanks :)

I will be going for car inspection soon as required by LTA. This is my first time. Would like advise on the following: 1. What is the cost of inspection? I will be using Vicom at Bukit Batok since near my place. 2. Better to inspect first or service the car prior to inspection? My car is coming to 3 years old, so I do not think any major problem. If I go for servicing and also get the mechanics to look out for inspection fault, I afraid they might take advantage. Thanks for assisting.

Just to chk if we need to apply for Vehicle TV Licence if we install a TV tuner in the car. Found this in the MDA website but not sure if it is applicable. Vehicle TV Licence A Vehicle TV Licence is required if a TV set is installed in a vehicle. http://www.mda.gov.sg/licences/l_vehicletv.html

SKODA, a Czech brand once associated with the backwardness of the communist bloc, will be the first here to offer a ready supply of a new generation of 'green', powerful cars. The Volkswagen-owned brand, imported by auto entrepreneur Peter Kwee's Czech Auto, has a 2.5-litre Superb model with a turbocharged diesel V6 engine. It meets a future emission standard known as Euro 4 and is cleaner than some electric hybrid and natural gas vehicles now available. The standard becomes mandatory here in October 2006, but taxis and commercial vehicles that meet it before then qualify for tax rebates. The Straits Times understands that Czech Auto is trying to market the car to fleet operators here, and that the first shipment can arrive as soon as within three weeks. Owners of Euro 4 cars registered for use as taxis before the end of next year qualify for a green incentive scheme, giving them 100 percentage-point rebates on the additional registration fee (ARF) - worth tens of thousands in savings per vehicle. Not only is it environmentally sound, but the Superb 2.5 TDi is also almost twice as powerful as an ordinary Toyota Crown cab. The sedan, with twin exhaust pipes and a sophisticated electronic stability control normally found only in luxury cars, has an open market value - roughly, cost price - of about $37,000. Ms Tammy Tan, spokesman for ComfortDelGro Corp, said: 'Skoda has made us an offer which we are looking at closely, given that it is the only manufacturer at this time willing to bring in the Euro 4 diesel engines to Singapore.' Also, DaimlerChrysler is preparing to bring in a prototype of a Mercedes-Benz E-class that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) and petrol. This bi-fuel Merc will be on loan to a taxi firm for trial. Currently, Singapore has only two CNG taxis running: a Nissan and a Volvo Bi-Fuel. Meanwhile, Ms Tan said ComfortDelGro is examining 'various options' to meet the Euro 4 standard, 'including new technologies like gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuels'. Oil major Shell and Japanese carmaker Toyota are testing a fleet of Toyotas in the United Kingdom using a liquid fuel made from natural gas. Fitted with a new exhaust system, the cars are said to surpass Euro 4 standards. GTL is seen as an economically viable option because it does not require new infrastructure or new vehicle types. 'Cost and long-term sustainability are among some of our key considerations,' noted Ms Tan. Elsewhere, SMRT Corp has ordered over 100 Euro 4 Mercedes-Benz taxis, which will be ready around the middle of next year. They will still be eligible for the generous ARF rebate, making them almost as competitively priced as today's Japanese cabs. -- Christopher Tan

Looks like the Accord is set to follow the IMA Civic. And it seems that the Accord is getting a bit of a revision to the front and rear with the introduction of the Hybrid Accord. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accord Hybrid Set to debut later this year with V-6 performance and four-cylinder Fuel Economy Torrance, Calif. 06/28/2004 -- American Honda released the first images of its 2005 Accord V6 Hybrid, a gas-electric hybrid version of Honda's best-selling car, scheduled to go on-sale at Honda dealerships nationwide later this year. Utilizing a next-generation hybrid powertrain, the Accord V6 Hybrid will deliver power and performance above the current 240-horsepower Accord V6 with the fuel economy of a compact-class, four-cylinder Civic sedan. "Putting hybrid technology into our most popular model is a further indication of Honda's commitment to hybrid technology and our confidence that consumers are ready for more hybrid models," said Tom Elliot, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The Accord hybrid delivers both increased performance and higher fuel economy. It takes hybrid technology into all new territory." With class-leading performance and fuel efficiency provided by a highly advanced and super-efficient hybrid V6 powertrain, the Accord Hybrid will produce in excess of 240 horsepower with near-peak torque available across the engine's full operating range for exhilarating performance with superb acceleration, passing power and cruising comfort. Honda's innovative new Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology further enhances the efficiency of the Accord Hybrid by deactivating three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising and deceleration with no impact to vehicle performance or passenger comfort. Honda's advanced and super-efficient Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system utilizes a high-output electric motor/generator to provide for more efficient engine operation by capturing electrical energy during braking or deceleration and using that energy to help power the vehicle. In addition, the system features the ability to shut off the engine during vehicle stops for further efficiency gains. The resulting savings in fuel consumption, along with VCM cylinder deactivation, provides for fuel economy comparable to a compact-class Civic sedan powered by a four-cylinder engine. The Accord Hybrid's exterior has a number of exclusive features including a unique front grille design, new taillight appearance and special hybrid badging, along with a rear trunk lid spoiler and exclusive alloy wheel design. Honda introduced the Insight, America's first hybrid vehicle and still the fuel economy leader, in December 1999. Honda then took hybrid technology into the mainstream with the introduction of the Civic Hybrid in March 2002. Sales of the Insight and Civic Hybrid accounted for more than half of all U.S. hybrid sales in 2003, according to R.L. Polk vehicle registration data. Civic Hybrid set consecutive sales records in March, April and May with year-to-date sales up nearly 20 percent versus last year through the end of May.

Hi all, Just want to gather some feedback on which banks actually charge owners a sum of $$ if they want to borrow their vehicle log card out temporarily.The usual reason to borrow the log card is when they want to sell their vehicles and/or want to transfer their licence plates to another vehicle. I know OCBC charges S$52 just for owners to borrow the log card out for 1 week ! Multiple selections allowed...so please state which banks charges $$ and if possible..how much. Cheers

All that u wan in a car.... brand of merc, exec of E34, sport of crx, the anus of supra... Regards Lester

This should make our Jazziegirl happy... Tokyo, January 9, 2003 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd., today announced that its small car model, the Fit, achieved cumulative unit sales of 250,790 units in Japan in 2002, according to statistics from the Japan Automobile Dealers' Association. Thus, Fit became the top-selling vehicle in Japan, the first time that a Honda model has reached the No.1 spot in yearly cumulative sales. Since its launch in June 2001, the Fit has proved popular with a wide-range of customers for its trend-setting styling, good fuel economy and excellent user- friendly features. Its cumulative sales now total 355,088 units in about a year and a half since its launch. The Fit was first exported to Europe in November 2001, and is currently sold to high acclaim in about 60 countries worldwide, as of the end of December 2002. Including exports, cumulative production of the Fit, which is manufactured at the Suzuka Factory, has exceeded 400,000 units.

Dear all I'm on working out something with my stockist to bring in Korean accessories to sell to owners in Singapore. Anyone with anything interesting in mind that you have been eyeing for a while but it's not available in Singapore cos there's no market for it can kindly mail me @ [email protected] or leave your reply here or PM me. I'm afraid at this point of time I do not have any catalogue to show and I can only help you to source for wat you have seen, thought of and check for availability. Thank you for your attention and hopefully, I can bring on more pride for Korean vehicle owners! With regards Lester