Singapore Hotels & Malaysia Hotels
About Singapore Malaysia

AROUND SINGAPORE 4

Extra fares are levied on top of the metered fare depending on where you're going and when you go. At times, figuring your fare seems more like a riddle. Here's a summary:
Trips during peak hours: Between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30am Monday to Friday, 4:30 to 7pm Monday to Friday, and 17:30am to 2pm on Saturdays, trips will carry an additional S$1 (US55¢) peak-period surcharge. But if you're traveling outside the Central Business District (CBD), you won't need to pay this surcharge during the morning rush. (To accurately outline the boundaries of the CBD, I'd need to fill a couple of encyclopedic volumes, so for this purpose, let's just say it's basically Orchard Rd., the Historic District, Chinatown, and Shenton Way)
Additional charges rack up time you travel through an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme underpass. Oil the Central Expressway (CTE), Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), and selected thoroughfares in the CBD, charges from 5304 to S$1.70 (US154-US954) are calculated by an electronic box on the driver's dashboard. The driver will add this amount to your fare.

And for special torture, here's some more charges: From midnight to bam, add 50% to your fare. From 6pm on the eve of a public holiday to midnight the following day, you pay an additional S$1 (US.554). From Changi Airport add S$5 (US$2.85) if you're traveling Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays between 5pm and midnight. Other times, it's S$3 (US$1.70). And for credit-card payments (yes, you can pay with plastic!) add 10%.

Singapore's public transportation systems are so extensive, efficient, and inexpensive that you shouldn't need a car to enjoy your stay. In fact, I don't advise it. While most hotels and restaurants and many attractions do have parking facilities, parking in lots can be expensive, and on-street parking is by prepurchased, color-coded parking tickets that are a pain to purchase. In addition, if you're not accustomed to driving on the left side of the road, you'll need to take the time to pick up a new skill.

Because of heavy government taxes aimed at reducing traffic congestion and air pollution, everything to do with cars in Singapore is outlandishly expensive-the going price for a Toyota Camry, for instance, can be as high as S$125,000 (US$71>429). This attempt to reduce automobile traffic is also extended to you, the traveler, through rental charges up to S$1,000 (US$571) plus taxes for 1 week's rental of the smallest car on the lot.

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