In Singapore, you will drive on the left-hand side of the road, like the English system. For people who are used to driving on the right-hand side of the road: don't worry. You will be surprised how easy you adapt to left-hand traffic and right-seat driving. It takes less than 5 minutes to get used to switching gears with your left hand, however the only thing you will continue to do wrong for at least 2 weeks, is switching on the windscreen wipers when you mean to switch on the indicators. Don't worry, you won't get fined for that.
Much debate has been taking place by expatriates about the 'quality' of Singaporean traffic. It is probably safe to say that if you come from a 'western' country, you will find Singaporean traffic mildly frustrating. Singaporeans are generally quite insecure and highly defensive drivers. You will find traffic moves slow, cars don't pull up quickly at traffic lights or when merging into a highway. For some reason unknown to us, there is something very appealing about the fast lane, which is why most drivers will stick to this lane as if their life depended on it, even though they might only drive 60 km/h and are not overtaking anyone. At the same time, don't be surprised if you see someone taking 10 minutes to back their car into a parking spot while at the same time blocking the flow of traffic on the road. Indicators are virtually never used in Singapore, especially by drivers of a Mercedes Benz (must be some sort of unwritten code).
Another frustrating thing about the Singaporean way of driving is the so-called 'Kiasu-ism' displayed by many drivers. Kiasu means 'afraid to loose' and translates itself on the road into a complete lack of courtesy. The average Singaporean driver would rather total his BMW than grant you some space if you want to merge into a highway, or simply switch lanes on the roads. There is a virtual neon flashing 'Me First!' sign on practically every car. It's a bit of a shame this mentality is nowhere to be found when it comes to operating the accelerator paddle. The trick to overcome this is by developing a fair share of kiasu-ism yourself.
Contrary to traffic in Singapore's surrounding countries, traffic in Singapore is organized and very disciplined. The quality of the roads is fantastic, probably better than what you're used to at home, even if you are from a highly developed country. Traffic signs and directional signs are clear and plentiful. There is a grid of highways leading to every corner of the island and with the help of a street directory, you will not have many problems finding your way around. Having said this, you may get confused in the newer area's of the country, where all buildings look alike, and roads are called Sembawang Close, Sembawang Road, Sembawang Drive, Sembawang Rise, Sembawang Cirlce, Sembawang Crescent, Sembawang Avenues 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7, Sembawang Street North 1,2,3,4, and 5 and Sembawang Street South 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8 (just to name a few), and all of these within a 1 square kilometer area.
The city center of Singapore is a restricted zone. This means that you will have to pay additional road tax to enter this area during working hours from Monday to Friday. Also, some sections of highways are restricted during rush hours. The additional road tax is paid by a system called Electronic Road Pricing, or ERP (so not Everyday Rob People as the occasional taxi driver would have you believe). Every car has an IU, or In-vehicle Unit, which is a device attached to the windscreen and which contains a cashcard. When entering the restricted zone, the ERP gantries will automatically deduct the tax from your cash card. Depending on which time you enter the zone, these charges can be anything from $0.50 to $2.50.
More information about ERP can be found here
There is an abundance of parking availability in Singapore, virtually every housing block has a parking garage and even in the city center there are never any problems in finding a parking spot in one of the many underground parkings. Parking fees are generally quite low, even in the city center, where you can park your car for as little as $2 per hour in any URA parking lot. There are several ways of paying parking fees, depending on the parking lot:
- With parking coupons in any URA parking lot (Coupons are available in most supermarkets and 7-eleven outlets, as well as tobacco shops and other convenience shops)
- By entry-ticket systems and autopayment machines (coins and notes)
- By automated cashcard systems (which you will have in your car anyway, for paying Electronic Road Pricing)
- By automatic deduction of your cashcard in your IU (device for paying Electronic Road Pricing)
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