With Children... do I need a car?

[berni29]

Hi There

I have a wife, two children (11 & 8 starting at Tanglin in Sept) and will be living near Orchard Road. Will I need a car to ferry the kids around to various after school activities/friends etc? In the UK you definitely need one. What do most expat types do?

Many thanks

Berni

[Singapore Newbie]

I would say many expats with two kids of that age have a car. It's not a necessity, but will make transporting them easier.

[Amelia Camelia]

Hi,

You might be able to get a bus to and from school or the children may be able to take the school bus, but this often means a much longer day for them.

For activities etc you'll probably need a taxi rather than a bus because your children and wife may not want to firstly walk to the final destination from the bus stop or wait around for a bus in the heat and humidity if they aren't used to it.

Taxis are great here - they are cheap and metered and airconditioned as are the buses. However, if it's raining - then taxis can be pretty difficult to get hold of.

I was really shocked by the prices of cars here for ages, and refused to let my husband look into getting one. We looked into the options of leasing/renting etc. For over 6 months I took taxis/MRT/buses with a 3 year old son, but when I became pregnant my husband had had enough and we 'caved in' if you like and bought a second hand car.

Of course, now its' much easier and we're a lot freer and I often take my husband to work and pick him up. Like the previous poster said, I think generally expats with 2 children will have a car. The other thing is that if you think it's a necessity in the UK, then you will probably have the same opinion here.

Hope this helps a bit,
A

[gabe_martindale]

My wife and I have a toddler here, and it's a bit of a hassle in the train. There are cultural differences for us in terms of space and politeness that we had to overcome. In North America, children stand for adults. Here, often the children sit and the adults stand. Moreover, often pregnant women or women carrying heavy toddlers have to stand in the train. That's besides the point. People get up very quickly for the elderly here which is nice.

Singapore is safe. Your location is central. Their schools will have busses, and you'll probably save a lot of money using their bus service. Cars are a fortune here, and unless you like big city driving, the roads are quite congested. You'll be able to walk to get your groceries, and taxies are very cheap, so it's doable without a car. Singapore is expensive--if you can save on vehicle, that money can be used for travel and some fine dining (although get a recommendation first).
good luck

[ffsgrelier]

hi
sorry but i believe you may enjoy having the freedom of having wheels ...
We have arrived in Sg at the end of march with 2 kids (7 and 5) and me being quite heavily pregnant. Our condo is very central , picked thinking we would not need a car but after a few months here, struggling now with newborn in car seat and 2 boys, we have given up and bought a car. Firstly, you never know what kind of driver you are getting when you get a taxi but mostly the commute to the school for the boys was far too much. The school bus does pick them up at the door of the condo which is great but they are the first picked up at 7.10 am for a 8.30 start and the last dropped off at 4 pm when their school finishes at 3 pm. A very very long day for them. With our car, i can leave at 8 am ! Now we can have more freedom after school for my eldest to do ECAs ( not so tired anymore) or meet up with their friends. Taxis are cheap but when you take them everywhere, it does add up too.
This is only my personnal experience , I would recommend you keep an open mind and see how you get on after arriving. We just decided it wasn't worth struggling for months to get one anyway. Best of luck.

[micknlea]

School buses can take a long time to go a short distance because of door to door service they provide.
We have a car, but you don't need to buy a new one, lots of second hand stuff around for a much better price(I'm talking tens of thousands cheaper). Taxis are OK, but with kids it can be a hassle. I think you just have to sort of check it out for yourself once you are here. What you may think of as being convenient may turn out not to be for the things you want to do.
I reckon with the expat people I know the ratio is 50/50 for with or without cars.

[uk-kiwi]

I would say that with your children being old enough that they don't require car seats that it's not a requirement. They can hop in and out of a cab themselves, help with shopping bags etc. If you are living near orchard then you're probably within walking distance to a lot of amenities. Most after school activities will be done at Tanglin. Except playdates of course. The school tries to encourage use of the bus service as the school gates get very congested and the waiting time for drop off can be long in the morning. Wait until you have been here for a while and see how you go. I honestly think you'll decide against it. It's very expensive so if you do decide to buy, make sure you get one that will last you the duration of your stay!

[berni29]

Hi There

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I feel comfortable with seeing how it goes now.

All the best

Berni

[nkthen]

If you do need a car and don't want to pay too much for it, consider going to car-sharing.

Singapore has a number of car-sharing services. Just search "singapore car sharing" and you should get a few services.