I REFER to the report, "He buys car because of cab fare hike" (The New Paper on Sunday, 20 Jan).

While I do agree that some commuters find the cost of taking taxis and the cost of owning a small car almost equal, the cost comparisons between taxi and carownership were hardly enough and justified.

There are many hidden costs associated with owning a car that were not considered, for example:

1. HDB carpark charges, which can be about $90 per month.

2. Monthly parking charges at your workplace. Parking in town can easily set you back by $180 per month.

3. Electronic Road Pricing charges, depending on where your office is located, could easily add up to $90 month.

4. In addition to the regular maintenance of the car, there is also time and cost spent washing the car, waxing and polishing it.

Owning a car is an additional liability and you do worry about your car getting scratched, bird droppings, accident claims and breakdowns.