By Tony Ng

Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums took a slight hit in the first bidding for 2009.

The premium for small cars (1,600cc and below) dipped $1,199 to $5,001.

Category B was the only one that bucked the southward trend. The premiums for big cars rose to $3,089 up from $2,656 - an increase of $433.

The premium for commercial vehicles also dropped by $499 to $3,502.

Premiums for motorcycles closed at $1,000 - a drop of $59.

Premiums for the open category closed at $5,701, down from $6,509.