Need a car/safety of taxis for kids without car seats?

[ivygirl]

Hello, We are an American family coming to Singapore for 3-6 months starting in April. Question -- if we live somewhere outside the CBD (East Coast, Holland Village), should we get a car? I know the MRT is fantastic but some neighborhoods are not close to MRT so you'd have to take a taxi (even just to the MRt stop). I am wary of putting my kids in taxis without car seats (other than occassionally). Wondering if I need to budget to have a car for that reason. Any thoughts?

[hbw65]

if you are only here for 3 - 6 months, then i would definitely NOT buy a car as they are so expensive here! I would just take taxis which are so reasonable. Everyone goes in them with kids. Yes, it's not the safest, but it's the easiest. I had the concern too about taking our son around without a car seat, but there's not solution.

You can check out the Joey Safe which is a taxi harness. Some parents use that, but I found it to be hard to use:

http://www.joey-safe.com/

[ivygirl]

if you are only here for 3 - 6 months, then i would definitely NOT buy a car as they are so expensive here! I would just take taxis which are so reasonable. Everyone goes in them with kids. Yes, it's not the safest, but it's the easiest. I had the concern too about taking our son around without a car seat, but there's not solution.

You can check out the Joey Safe which is a taxi harness. Some parents use that, but I found it to be hard to use:

http://www.joey-safe.com/

THank you very much for the reply. Did you look into leasing a car? I wouldn't want to buy, but maybe try and get my husband's company to pay for a lease? Would a car be really helpful to have or not so much. Thanks.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You would think it would be a blessing but it's a curse in disguise. Especially when taking it to town and having to ride around for half an hour looking for a parking space and then having to walk, push a stroller for several block (city blocks) along with carrying your purchases as each time you try to move your car you're wasting another half an hours (not even counting the outrageous parking fees when you do find one. Take the taxi or for that matter buses or MRT. I believe durain uses them all the time, complete with stroller/prams abeit those easy folders.

[durain]

yep, it is such a pain to carry all the bits and pieces for the pushchair, stroller, car seat, etc. etc. etc. in the hot and sticky weather. you will be sweating like a monsoon rain.

yeah, car is good but this is not US of A where parking are plentiful and hypermarket are everywhere. you have to hunt for parking. people do extreme things to hog a parking space in singapore!

drove in singapore years and years ago when ERP is free if there's 4 pax in the car. parking was much easier and a lot less cars on the road.

walk, taxi and bus will do me fine. good to get the kids to walk. the youngest was off pushchair since 2 years old. they can walk from tanglin all the way to plaza singapura, with an ice cream stop in swensons .

[carolynW]

I'd get a car if the kiddies are young and there are strollers (and stuff) to be lugged about but if they are older (say 3 and above) and stroller free, I'd just take taxi's and then have the freedom to ride the MRT or busses (which the kids love to do).

Leasing is a better option than purchase for that period. Less paperwork.

[ivygirl]

THanks so much for the replies! I am on fence b/c my youngest is almost 3 so she's kind of on the verge now...doesn't necessarily need a stroller but for long distances she probably would. Hhhhm...Maybe I'll see how the economics shake out -- if we have to whittle down our budget perhaps we could strike the car. Do people rent them for the day, etc. when they want to do a field trip (like go to Malaysia) or do people rent a car and driver? Any ideas of the cost differential there?

Thanks everybody, love this forum!

[mondaymorningquarterback]

Having a car in singapore is not that bad. I have been driving here for 6 years. Parking is easy if you are not a cheapskate. You just drive into a paylot. Its at most $2 per hour or $3+ for the evening in the city. I use to pay US$25 for half a day in boston. We have a big surplus of parking spaces in the HDB system too. Singapore is also alot more accessible when you have a car. Taking a cab can be its own adventure as well when it rains or during peak hours.

[pearline]

If it's just for that few months, you may be better off with taxis. Only times this will be an issue is when you need to get a taxi on for example Chinese New Year (which falls on Feb 14 this year). Otherwise cabs are really plentiful.

As Singapore roads can get really crowded during peak and you are going to be around CBD, MRTs may get you around faster. People here usually don't rent cars + driver. Usually rental of cars for day trips can be useful if you'll like to have a family day out or something like that, or even driving to Malaysia.

[seatosin]

We have a young toddler (almost 2), and my first thought was: let's get a car! Then we found out the cost associated with owning one, and we gave up that idea. Even leasing a car is relatively pricey compared to the US. I've found the transportation here to be very good. We take the MRT every day, buses on occasion, and taxis when we can't be bothered to take public transport.

Having a car seat is safest for little ones, but it's not practical in every situation. For taxi rides, we ordered a Freedom Ride (also called JoeySafe). It's a 5-point harness vest your child wears prior to getting into the taxi, and the taxi lap or shoulder belt loops through the back of the vest. When worn, the poor kid looks like s/he's ready to go parachuting. It takes some practice getting the straps adjusted, but it's fairly simple once you get the hang of it. I'd order one before moving out.

[Ma'am]

We also use taxis. We've been here for 5+ years and have lived centrally so it just wasn't neccessary until now (I have three children). I've been using the TravelRider vest from one of the mothers works shops here. Its easy to put on and my 2 and 4 yo use it without a problem (my four yo can put his on himself) Its also handy if you go to Thailand, Bintan, Maylasia etc and are picked up by the hotel mini bus or car, just strap the car seatbelt though the harness.

If the company are giving you a car allowance and you're only here for a brief time you may want to look into getting a chauffer service - I thought the prices were kind of reasonable (for Singapore!) when I looked into it, compared to owning and running a car anyway.