His car gets a lot of stares from other road-users - it is an advertisement on wheels.

Mr Franco Lim (left), 29, who is self-employed, took up the offer to become a 'Rendriver' and his red Toyota is now adorned with gigantic stickers.

He recently saw fliers from Renvertising, a new advertising company, offering to supplement the rising costs of owning a car in Singapore.

He gets $100 a month from the company to flaunt its promotional stickers on the side of his car.

While advertisements are common on buses and taxis, Renvertising has its eye on the untapped market of private cars.

Those who sign up must travel a minimum of 500km a month.

Asked if he was concerned about other people's reactions, Mr Lim would only say: 'I don't know what they are thinking when they stare at me.'

Still, he is thrilled with his car's new look.

He told The New Paper he liked the idea so much that he would consider advertising his own clothing business on his car in future.

And far from thinking that it looks like a taxi, his friends and family commented that the decorations make his Toyota look like a 'flashy sports car'.

Other Rendrivers contacted by The New Paper said their initial apprehension about a garish design on their cars was misplaced.

The family of foreman Ng Kheng Leong, 51, was concerned that the stickers would damage the paint of his new car.

His daughter, Ms Cindy Ng, 24, said the company assured them that it uses 'high-quality stickers that would not cause damage'.

'We could approve the design first, and it turned out looking quite funky,' she said.

Joining the scheme has enabled Mr Lim to cut his monthly $200 fuel costs by almost half.

Student Celia Lim, 25, is also happy to defray her fuel costs by allowing advertising on her car.

'Petrol prices are getting so expensive. It is a great way to help out with the bills,' she said.

Mr Jeff Peh, 24, one of Renvertising's three partners, said its original goal was to cater to the needs of drivers.

The three-month-old company currently offers only two choices of advertisement - one for itself and the other for a client.

It has recruited about 130 drivers so far.-TNP

This article was first published in The New Paper on 19 June, 2008