SINGAPORE — From as early as June next year, vehicle owners will no longer receive hardcopy letters from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for motoring-related transactions such as renewal of their vehicle’s road tax.

They will instead receive electronic notifications via SMS (short message service) or electronic letters through their One.Motoring account, the LTA announced in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 7). This will apply to all transactions — except those for summonses — and will also cover updates on the status of recent transactions.

Motorists who want to continue receiving hardcopy letters can do so, but will have to inform the LTA by May 31 next year. 

The LTA’s move is part of Singapore’s push to become a Smart Nation, and develop citizen-centric solutions, said the transport authority.

"This move will bring greater convenience to the public while enhancing LTA’s operational efficiency," it said.

One.Motoring, the LTA’s website for the motoring needs of vehicle owners, was revamped earlier this year. It offers information on vehicle-related issues, such as Certificate of Entitlement (COE) rebates, as well as a range of services including payment for fines and fees, and renewal of road tax, for example.

Under the new system, an SMS alert will be sent to a vehicle owner when his or her vehicle’s road tax is due for renewal. The owner can carry out the transaction after logging onto the One.Motoring website with a SingPass or CorpPass account to retrieve the electronic letter.

The electronic alerts will apply to other transactions such as the transfer of vehicle ownership.

From Nov 26, a six-month transition period will be implemented to allow vehicle owners to adapt to the new paperless system. During this period, the LTA will continue to send hardcopy letters to owners, in addition to SMS notifications and electronic letters.

Vehicle owners with a SingPass or CorpPass account will receive letters in the mail informing them about the change.

OTHER NEW ONE.MOTORING INITIATIVES

• From Nov 26, users of One.Motoring will also be able to use their SingPass or CorpPass accounts to access four new digital services: Transfer of vehicle ownership, transfer of rebates on the COE or the Preferential Additional Registration Fee, transfer of Temporary COEs, and vehicle deregistration.

• Users can log in with their SingPass or CorpPass accounts to carry out the transfers, instead of having to submit hardcopy application forms and apply for a transaction PIN (personal identification number) for secured LTA transactions.

• The use of SingPass or CorpPass will make it easier for owners to deregister their vehicles themselves, or authorise a third party to dispose of their vehicles without having to apply for a transaction PIN.

WHAT LTA IS DOING TO IMPROVE SERVICES

• More digital kiosks at the e-lobby of LTA’s Sin Ming office for those requiring access to digital services. Service ambassadors are on hand to guide users.

• By 2020, the LTA will also shift to an appointment-based system for counter services to improve service delivery and cut wait times.

• From Nov 26, owners of foreign-registered cars and motorcycles will have the option of applying for a vehicle entry permit through One.Motoring before entering Singapore. They can collect and pay for the permits or Autopass Cards at LTA offices at the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints.

• More features will be rolled out for users next year, such as allowing them to update their vehicle insurance records, and pay for their vehicle entry permits and Autopass cards online.