Insight | Singapore has a strategy, Macau and Hong Kong don’t

Paulo Barbosa

Already among the world’s most expensive places to own a vehicle, Singapore has announced in October that it will stop increasing the total number of cars on its roads next year.

The annual growth rate for cars and motorcycles in the Lion City was already small (0.25 percent) but will be cut to zero in February. The Singaporean Land Transport Authority decided to go ahead and implement the measure, despite only around 15pct of the population owning a vehicle.

Meanwhile in Macau, the latest news indicates that the mutual recognition of driver’s licenses between Macau and the mainland will go ahead.

The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário stated last week that the measure “can’t be postponed” (why?) and that cars from the mainland won’t be able to enter Macau (but many already enter, given the double license policy).

According to the Secretary, the mutual recognition will mean that drivers from the mainland will be able to “pick a car from a friend or a relative, or rent a car” and drive it into Macau.

The usual questions remain unanswered: Did the Macau government have any say in this? Are there any estimates of the impact that a measure such as this could have on car traffic? What is the rationale behind the introduction of an arrangement that is likely to increase traffic on our clogged roads, and which seems to contradict the government’s goals of reducing traffic and investing in public transportation?

Last but not least: Does the accelerated integration of Macau in the Greater Bay Area serve to benefit Macau’s citizens or will it be used to disintegrate the region, perhaps preparing for the post-2049 scenario?

Overall, what we can learn from this measure and many others with a similar outcome is that, unlike Singapore, Macau and its bigger – not older – neighbor Hong Kong both lack a development strategy. The lack of strategy means that these are cities struggling with a declining quality of living. Thus, they are slowly being dehumanized.

Unlike Singapore. We may not like its authoritarian politics and its somewhat over-regulated environment, but Singapore is exemplary in many ways. When I travel there I’m always surprised to see how the city is becoming more and more modern while retaining its multicultural character and a green environment.

Many good ideas and projects have recently been introduced in Singapore. The Marina Bay Sands, with a “sky terrace” perched atop three hotel towers, almost instantly became an icon of the city when it opened in 2010. It shows how an integrated resort with a casino at its heart can become a symbol of good taste and innovation.

Right beside it stand the magnificent Gardens By The Bay, another instant icon built on reclaimed land under the government’s plan of upgrading Singapore from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden”. The nature park includes stunning gardens and the monumental solar-powered “Supertrees”, where rainwater is collected. It showcases sustainable practices and plants from across the globe.

Not far away is Resorts World Sentosa, another major tourist hub featuring countless attractions, including a casino.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s “Smart Nation” initiative seems to be paying off. The city-state ranks in the top places to live in many different surveys, including second post in a global smart city index where Hong Kong ranked 68th. Many measures are being rolled out such as self-driving cars, remote health monitoring and e-learning.

The days of Hong Kong as a major financial power and a conveniently situated clearing house are declining. Macau is an encircled casino republic, which lives and will continue to live on the easy dollar.

Both SARs follow political diktats and have no clear or healthy development strategy. Singapore does.