Motorcycle permits now cost more than motorcycles in Singapore

Filepic of Singaporean motorcyclists at a petrol pump in Johor Baru. The cost of a 10-year motorcycle permit in Singapore hit a record high this month, amounting to more than the cost of a new, entry-level bike. – Photo: THE STAR/Filepic

Singapore’s reputation as one of the world’s most expensive cities now extends to one of its cheapest modes of transportation: motorcycles.

The cost of a 10-year motorcycle permit in the city-state hit a record S$12,801 (RM42,947) this month according to data from the Land Transport Authority, up over 200% in four years and more than the cost of a new, entry-level bike in the Southeast Asian nation.