Singapore slashes vehicle entry fees

Singapore slashes vehicle entry fees

SINGAPORE: Singapore said on Thursday it will reduce foreign vehicle entry fees by one-third on weekdays to attract more visitors.

Foreign motorists will pay S$20 (US$12) a day beginning Dec. 6, said Singapore's tourism board and transport authority. Two causeways connect Malaysia and Singapore.

"Visitors, especially our Malaysian friends, will find it more attractive to drive over to Singapore for a visit," said Lim Neo Chian, the tourism board's deputy chairman.

The changes came a day after the board opened three visitor centers at Changi, Singapore's international airport, to persuade transit passengers to venture downtown.

Tourism is a key industry in resource-poor Singapore and contributes about 10 percent of its gross domestic product. --AP