The Full Cost of Owning a Vehicle

There are many costs associated with owning a car.

Everyone wants to own a vehicle in Port Moresby because it would be very convenient considering the lousy public transport system. However, as I recently found out, owning a car can be a very expensive exercise – not to mention tiring.

When I first imported my 1996 3 door hard top RAV4 AT from Japan I had to have it registered and insured at the Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL), I also had to have it inspected for safety by a licensed mechanic. On top of that, fuel is quite expensive.

Now, the issue of fuel is controversial considering PNG has the natural resource and a processing plant in country. Yet, our fuel prices are quite high compared to other countries. Anyway, that’s not the main concern in our post today, the cost of owning a car is.

Another cost is the cleaning of the vehicle. In PNG, Port Moresby in particular, dust is an issue and your car will get dirt and dusty. You can get it cleaned along the roads at places like Sabama or you could go to a professional setup like under the Vision City parking area where 2 Fast Motors have their wash.

Repair is another you have to be mindful of. The roads of Port Moresby are not in the best form so you are bound to hit potholes, humps and all sorts of small debris on the road like cans. This takes a toll on the vehicle and constant maintenance is a must for safety.

This would also include minor service like changing coolant, motor oil, brakes and fluids.

Anyway, the list is quite long but I’m just giving you a basic rundown of the costs. Now, don’t take this as a deterrent for car ownership but as a preparatory education to what will come.