New COE quota up 8.9%

THE next certificate of entitlement (COE) quota will expand by 8.9 per cent to 26,391 after shrinking for two straight quarters, with all passenger car categories benefiting from the increase.

The February to April 2017 quota will make available an average of 8,795 COEs per month.

From next month onwards for three months, the number of COEs for Category A - for cars below 1,600 cc and 130 hp - will jump 11.3 per cent to 4,104 monthly; while Cat B - for cars above 1,600 cc or 130 hp - will rise 9.2 per cent to 2,714 each month.

Cat E - the open category which currently tracks Cat B - will spike 20.5 per cent to 963 monthly.

Only Cat C - for commercial vehicles and buses - and Cat D - for motorcycles - will contract. Cat C will shrink 10.8 per cent to 322 COEs per month and Cat D will fall 6.6 per cent to 692 monthly.