Singapore has set such high and innovative standards in managing its car population that it has become the envy of even cities like London.

Is it so inconceivable then that in the future, Singapore could be a sterling example of a city without cars?

The alternative is gridlock - 1.2m cars clogging up the roads if the situation is left unchecked.

Can you, if you are a motorist, go car-less?

Endurance Test

In Mumbai, where I lived and worked for five years, taking public transport was a severe test of endurance.

On a good day, the non-airconditioned trains and buses would be nicely packed. On a bad day, people who could otherwise fit into five trains would be squeezed into one.

Throw in the pickpockets and other assorted distractions and you would have no choice but to make your move to the exit a good 10 minutes early if you intend to disembark at your station.

In Delhi, there was no MRT when I was there. So the average Joe had to rely on buses or three-wheelers called autorickshaws.

If you have a thin wallet, the three-wheelers as a daily mode of transportation would be out of reach.

What you're left with are the buses. If you're lucky, a 30-minute wait would be a good way to start your day.

The other option? To be at the mercy of unlicensed operators who would price tickets at a whim.

It didn't take me more than a few hours to change my opinion about public transport when I moved to Singapore.

It was as 'refreshing' as downing your first beer after a hard day's work.

So when I see the clamour for cars here, I often wonder: Is a car a must-have in Singapore?

My emphatic answer: No. The public transport system here is so well-organised, I've never really craved for my own car.

Those who whine about crowded trains and buses here should take just one trip in Mumbai trains.

Contrast that with Singapore: An MRT station less than a 10-minute walk away, feeder buses if you live more than 10 minutes away, a bus stop around the corner. And if you're too lazy to walk, just call a cab.

When there are cabbies - and ever-reliable train and bus drivers - to take you to work and back, why not let them do the job?