Editing Area Licensing Scheme (section)

==Background==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Yap Singapore Experience RZ Location Fig 3-p8.jpg|right|thumbnail|300px| Location of the ALS Restricted Zone (RZ), Singapore.]] -->
The introduction of [[congestion pricing]] was one of a number of anti-congestion policies implemented in Singapore since the 1970s, in recognition of the country's land constraints, need of economic competitiveness, and to avoid the traffic gridlock that chokes many cities in the world. One key aspect of demand management in Singapore is the restraint of vehicle ownership, either through the imposition of high ownership costs or restriction on the actual growth of the car population.  These measures have included high annual road tax, custom duties and vehicle registration fees. Besides fiscal deterrents, supply of motor vehicles was regulated since 1990, when a Vehicle Quota System was introduced. These high initial buy-in charges are considered as the price motorists pay for the luxury of owning a car and to cover part of the fixed costs associated with scaling basic road infrastructure. Then, use-related charges, such as fuel taxes (50% of final sale price), ALS or high parking rates are utilised by public authorities to further constraint travel.<ref>{{Citation | last = Land Transport Authority| year = 1996 | title = A World Class Land Transport System| publisher = White Paper , Republic of Singapore}}</ref> In parallel to the whole spectrum of [[road pricing]] measures, the government has invested heavily in public transport and implemented a park-and-ride scheme, with thirteen fringe car parks, hence providing car users a real alternative to switch travel modes. In summary, Singapore's urban and transport strategy allowed the users to have pro-transit "carrots" matching auto-restraint "sticks",<ref>{{harvnb|Cervero|1998|p= 155}}</ref> and as a result, despite having one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia, 32% of Singaporean households owned cars in 2010.<ref>Department of Statistics, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Republic of Singapore (2000).  {{cite web |url=http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/popn/c2000adr/chap7.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-10-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113154426/http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/popn/c2000adr/chap7.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2011 |df=dmy-all }}, Singapore Census of Population 2000 : Advance Data Release, Chapter 7 Mode of Transport (Page 3)</ref>

The ALS was first formulated and designed in 1973, under the leadership of a high level inter-ministerial committee, which recommended policies and measures to improve the urban transport situation back then.  The ALS scheme was implemented only after a one-year public dialogue and some modifications were made based on the public's feedback. As detailed above, the ALS was sold as part of an overall package of road pricing measures and public transportation improvements that helped to gain public support.<ref>{{Citation | last = Keong | first = C. K. | year = 2002 | title = Road Pricing Singapore's Experience presented at the 3rd Seminar of the IMPRINT-EUROPE Thematic Network: "Implementing Reform on Transport Pricing: Constraints and solutions: learning from practice", Brussels, 23–24 October 2002}}</ref>