The night owl

When Mr Chan bought a new Suzuki Swift Sport three years ago, he chose to go off-peak.

His parents, with whom he lives in a Housing Board flat in Toa Payoh, already h

Jordan Chan, 28, site engineer. ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN

ave an unrestricted car, and besides, he is a night owl.

'My work does not require me to travel around and I usually go out at night, so getting the off-peak car is only for my personal use,' says Mr Chan, a bachelor who takes a bus or hitches a ride with his dad to the office each day.

He is a regular at Wala Wala Cafe Bar, a popular pub at Holland Village that opens till late.

So the off-peak rule restricting week-day evening driving till after 7pm is no hindrance for him.

He uses the car nearly every day. 'I go to restaurants and the cinema after work, so it really serves all my interests.'

And off-peak does not mean less-than-peak polishing for him. 'I wash my car every week and wax it once a month,' he says. 'Whenever I clock 7,000km, I send it to the workshop for servicing and checks.'

His off-peak car gets some off-Singapore action, too.

He routinely drives to either the Johor Circuit, a racing circuit at Pasir Gudang over the Causeway, or the Sepang International Circuit, with a group of 10 fellow car enthusiasts every month on weekends.

He is undecided about whether to switch to the revised off-peak car scheme.

'Maybe I will, it depends on my needs,' he says.

He adds: 'The offer should be extended to all existing off-peak car owners without the need for any adminstrative fee or reduction of road tax discount.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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