World-class ERP city or an integrated transport strategy? One reader's round-up

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Feb 21, 2008

 

 

"

MUCH talk has gone on about transport woes and solutions in the last three weeks with great energy, ideas and discussion surfacing from the many writers writing in and participating on the web. Let me put together some views and a personal reflection from these collective thoughts.

Motorist caught in a Catch 22 situation

 

Let me quote Dr Lim Boon Hee (Feb 7): To avoid paying electronic road pricing (ERP) charges, motorists use collateral roads but once the latter becomes congested, another gantry is erected to speed up traffic. It appears we have a Catch 22 situation. This is a paradox in practice in which we become a victim regardless of the choices we make.

 

In another case, we are encouraged to take the MRT through giving up our cars, and when we do that the MRT is already at its peak (http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_203506.html ), and we are 'left stranded on the platform'. Yet we are stuck with an ERP hike.

 

The Emerging Consensus

 

The views of Amos Toh (Feb 7) are indeed relevant: That our solution seems short term and that we are using the ERP to firefight.

 

Let me quote him: Higher ERP charges would certainly result in immediate traffic improvement but the current situation may resurface in the long run if improvements to the public transport system are not made urgently.

 

Chris Yong Yoon Kwong (Feb 6), as with several other e-contributors, recommends adopting a holistic approach in easing traffic jams. He reaffirms the need that the solution is not in using ERP hikes repeatedly but to work with other measures and facilities concurrently. Many online writers agreed.

 

I concur. The solutions here is to look holistically with a set of initiatives, rather than looking at what was done last year that relieved the pressures somewhat, so we do the same this year (since it seemed to have worked), and so will it be the following year.

 

Financial Stick Culture

 

There is a strong agreement and dislike from several writers that Singapore seems to favour the 'financial stick than the carrot despite public transport still remaining a poor alternative to private cars', said one of the e-writers in ST Forum and being made to think it's for our own good.

 

In my opinion, if this becomes an accepted value system and the financial stick is accepted as 'the way to go' in Singapore, we will soon find a gantry on every road. After all, it's 'easy money' from ERP, COE, ARF and what-have-you to build the next second generation gantry.

 

Perhaps paying top dollars to an independent traffic/transport planning consultant to integrate the many initiatives and 'lost carrots' (see point below) may be a better use of this money than new gantries, GPS technologies, enforcement methods, etc; otherwise, we will one day find an ERP gantry at our doorstep.

 

An ERP gantry at our doorstep?

 

Can this happen? Think again, as what Hume Park residents found out as they rolled down Hume Avenue one morning. Turning right into Upper Bukit Timah Road, they were faced with a live ERP gantry, despite the lack of alternatives or MRT lines there. One resident commented after looking for alternatives.... 'Pay lah!'

 

What can you do? It can happen to any estate or suburb. I raised this as an issue because it does seem a good example of a fast solution to a crowded road situation. If that's 'the way to go', we don't need to think much more for a better solution.

 

What next? The ERP City (ST, Feb 9)

 

Quote:

 

>>'The next-generation ERP system is intended to have the capability to charge based on distance travelled along congested stretches of roads.'

 

>>'A distance-based system will need to track movements of all vehicles accurately and that is where Global Positioning System (GPS) technology comes in.'

 

Unquote

 

Dr Chin Kian Keong

 

Chief Engineer, Transportation Land Transport Authority

 

e-Writers Comments:

 

>>The truth is: ERP + GPS system = Driver pays more for new technology used that looks good and can claim some first in the world of traffic.

 

>>Built-in speed trap function?

 

>>Cost of business goes up

 

>>Singapore, the driving circuit for the rich.

 

>>Error in focusing solely on traffic engineering, rather than traffic management

 

>>Hope we don't discover one day that frequent passing under these gantries' activating our IU units is not the cause of high incidence of cancer or infertility.

 

Are all cities alike?

 

This, too, has been frequently used to justify ERP hikes. London has an entry toll, New York is following us, and therefore we must be right, reinforcing the 'Village Venus Effect'. (see below) ... and justifying the ERP hike.

 

I personally feel, we should be careful when using comparatives to expediently justify our actions as no two cities are alike. Nor should we stake our claim that we are so right that even New York or London follows us.

 

Each city is unique and hardly the same. But since the cards have been opened, let me share my view.

 

New York has 19 million people, traffic jams are common, and most are driven to public transport as a natural alternative. Despite their woes, they have yet become the top financial centre in the world. They never used the financial stick when they were smaller. We are 23% their size but use this as the first choice.

 

Over the years, New York has developed some world-class transport infrastructures. The New York City Subway is the largest rapid transit system in the world when measured by the number of stations in operation, with 468. Its annual ridership is 1.4 billion passenger trips in 2005 and nearly all of the system remains open 24 hours per day. It has the longest suspension bridge in North America, the world's first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel, more than 12,000 yellow cabs, and an aerial tramway that transports commuters between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan. They may have something we can learn from in managing a gigantic city. Yet we only chose to say they will be taking up the financial stick like Singapore soon.

 

If we look at Perth (hitting 2 million recently) free bus transport in and into the city has been in use for over five years. It has reduced the congestion somewhat. Their Park & Ride programme is so effective that they sometimes cannot find a spot to park. The pleasantly cool weather also allows for long walks to the trains. But the city sprawls out and thus, personal transport is more demanding as not all parts can be reached by public transport. They have problems different from Singapore. From the city centre to Joondalup suburb, just 26km north, is likely the distance from Singapore city centre to Woodlands, while the southernmost suburb Mandurah is some75 km away, doubling the length from Changi to Tuas at 42km. The city is one of the fastest growing in Australia with property prices equal to Sydney's.

 

Another e-contributor mentioned that Texas uses an RF card with an encrypted code attached to the windshield with adhesive. When the car goes under the gantry, the ID of the RF card is read and funds deducted from an account held by the Toll Authority. One can easily update his funds by Internet via credit card or bank deduction. One may also have an 'auto-update' option. Melbourne has a somewhat similar system on a main highway but not the collateral roads.

 

Singapore has a system but not the only one in the world. Other cities choose to approach their problems in different ways and uses fiscal means as a last resort or only on selected main highways, as in Melbourne, but with lots of collateral roads toll-free and allowing for some tolerance and market forces to manage these roads. It becomes a choice for them to choose a slower road for free or a faster one, the highway and pay the price.

 

The 'Village Venus Effect'

 

Is this where our problem lies? I believe many here feel we have a great ERP system. As a result it has caused planners to have the 'Village Venus Effect'. As highlighted by Edward De Bono, a very familiar name in Singapore, it is 'one of the errors hindering creative thinking'. He explains his story.

 

Quote: Like the villagers who think that the most beautiful girl in the world is the most beautiful girl in their village, the thinkers began believing that there is no better solution other than that he has already found.

 

This blocks creativity. Not only individuals but societies and even the whole mankind sometimes fall prey to this error. Unquote.

 

The 'Lost Carrots' approach. Ideas gone unnoticed.

 

In today's postmodernism era, the stick culture will draw people further away from the government. The carrot culture in responding to the postmodernist society on the other hand would seem more therapeutic and thoughtful, drawing people together to appreciate a common cause. These 'carrots' below are not exhaustive, but it leans towards being considerate, allowing for options, an offer of a helping hand to ease their woes, and thus, 'you' will be missing out on benefits and savings if you continue your old driving habits once these are in place. This would appeal to the people more and seem less arrogant. Let me elaborate.

 

1. Re-introduce the Park & Ride scheme with attached facilities

 

Build multi-storey car parks above MRT lines or designated adjacent sites for Park & Ride commuters with sheltered and linked walkways, use of escalators and travellators, air-conditioned, so you don't sweat before reaching your office.

 

A similar Park & Ride ex-Newton Circus scheme is doomed to fail unless proper underground walkways, aircon and planning routes to the MRT are designed into the plan.

 

2. 'Incentivising' Park & Ride

 

Improving and 'incentivising' the Park & Ride schemes with very attractive rates or free for Park & Ride commuters parking for seven hours or more. They don't have to start at the same time but hundreds of cars will be off the roads and freeing up road space during each block. Short-term parking continues as normal.

 

3. Distribute parking loads

 

>>Decentralise the Park & Ride locations to several stations. Charge less for Park & Ride locations farther away from the city to distribute parking loads

 

>>Free MRT rides from these stations for Park & Ride commuters linked cards into the city to initially change behaviour patterns and make it worthwhile for drivers to make that switch or experience the cool convenience and savings for the 'Park & Ride-MRT' or 'Park & Ride-BUS' link. The latter to places in the city, not services by the MRT.

 

4. Review ERP Policy & Practices

 

>>ERP rates could go up within the CBD when these alternatives arrive.

 

>>The speed on collateral roads need not match the speeds of expressways proportionately and should allow people the choice of using the slower collateral roads or take the faster highways and pay the price. But with Park & Ride schemes and as a result many cars are off the roads, the collateral roads may not be so bad.

 

>>Take a holistic approach and put money for an independent professional transport planner, free from any 'pressures' and past inhibitions to find the holistic solution with a mandate to integrate facilities and not find new fiscal measures and investments into new ERP/GPS technologies to curb and penalise usage.

 

>>Let's shoot to be revenue neutral and put money from the ERP, COE and ARF, etc, back into the system like the Park & Ride scheme than building new infrastructure for ERP gantries, GPS research and implementation, speed monitors paired with ERP technology, enforcement methods, maintenance, etc.

 

>>Focus on policies to change habit and 'carrotising' new behaviours, changing mindset than penalising old habits.

 

5. Other measures

 

>>Working from home, with a government driven campaign to set the culture in place. Perhaps 40-50 per cent or more of executive level workers who drive spend the first hour or two of their workday dealing with e-mail. They could do this at home and come to office later without feeling guilty or victimised.

 

Moreover, in this present technological age, with web cam and Skype, VoIP, etc, and with monitoring devices, it only takes a mindset change and identifying the criteria to qualify them for the scheme.

 

Every little change will redistribute the traffic load.

 

>>Staggered work hours, schools and timings to maximise transport resources. This has far wider implications. Let's put our best minds and talent pool to it.

 

And I am sure more ideas can and will come up through organised meetings with the dedicated consultant with this mandate, and those who drive to work.

 

These are ideas, motivators to change behaviour and provide alternatives collected from the ST e-Forum pages as well as personal ones, and will still need fine-tuning. They can work collectively but certainly not in isolation, nor having ERP working on its own. They are bold challenges and a major government decision that needs to be orchestrated, customised and adapted along the way with ideas and leadership from the talent pool in our government. I hope this letter might start the ball rolling.

 

In Closing

 

From the issues raised, it is good to reflect and ask 'Does the shoe fit, so far?' Which parts? Others might have different views from their on-the-road experiences that could be added on. Perhaps going back to the lost carrots can rekindle the rationale of reviewing an overall plan to integrate transport and relieve it of its woes, than to continue using the same hose on a growing fire.

 

Or perhaps consider a transport planning specialist to overcome the 'Village Venus Effect' that can help 'sharpen the saw' and manage the problem more effectively. This is from an analogy of a woodcutter who kept dragging his saw through the tree trunk without making much progress till an outsider (a consultant in this case) suggested to him to stop and sharpen the saw. To which the woodcutter replied: 'Can't you see I am so busy. (...building a world class ERP city?). Where can I fine time to sharpen the saw?'

 

In rounding up, lets 'begin with an end in mind' (Source: Stephen Covey) with regard to the outcomes we want, and work backwards to what we must do today.

 

To be a world-class ERP city or ....

 

To have a world-class integrated transport infrastructure that works.

 

Whichever is the legacy we leave behind and be proud of, determines how we deal with the problem today.

 

In closing, I wish to thank the many writers' comments whom I have adapted for this letter and my apologies for not seeking their permission first as I have no means to contact them. We can always 'meet' again on the web.

 

"

 

Rodney Wong Yu Hock

 

RODNEY

[Friendstar]

This is good read

 

I especially like his analogies.

 

its long but pls try!

[Ahyoo2002]

Let's see any LTA people care to reply.

[Comfy]

yup.. a great read... LTA might take ages to reply to this...

[Guyver]

Very good ....

 

Yes ... I agree with him.

 

For "Park & Ride" ... For some of the place, one need to walk like 5-10mins before once can reach the nearest MRT.

[Friendstar]

Thanks bro for your vote of confidence

 

I thought many will shun this thread as boring and baseless.

[YellowFlash]

very nice...

[Enzomatrix]

maybe L Tee A will find it boring.. for us.. its

[Kiadaw]

Wow, this is a good read, shame many narrow minded, Highly paid, "world class" people sitting on high chairs.

 

The Village Venus analogy is very good...good food for through. Just cuz you have something that work, doesn't mean you can't look for other solution. Even if one is no. 1, doesn't mean he cannot learn from others.

 

Btw, LTA will come out with their usual excuses lah. I mean, if they accept the suggestions, means some people have to do more work, planning, coordinating..etc. why need to, unlike private companies, they have no competition, no benchmark. Life is easy if you have no competition or benchmark (they think they the best remember).

 

Actually there is a benchmark, benchmark against the top 20% of private sector....................paychecks.

[Enzomatrix]

human tend to accept a solution immediately b4 evening comparing and deciding if there is any other alternatives or is this really the best

[Trex101]

Everyone knows ERP is an excuse to squeeze more money out of motorist. Why would they change even if the writer suggestion is right? Accept it, ERP city is a way of life here in Singapore.

Edited February 22, 2008 by Trex101

[Ahbengdriver]

comments

 

everyone driving a car just vote the opposition next time

Edited February 22, 2008 by Ahbengdriver

[Curahee]

Here operate like corporate despite we r a country. All measures, policies implemented, money is the first thing in mind.

[Maroon5]

very well written....is he a Business Deg / MBA student writing a paper?

anyw in my memory, all the jams and congestion started happening after Feb06 when COEs cost 10k and car costs plunged...

[Osiris]

wanted to post this too but i thought many people will not read it.

 

However, this article is very well written and the village venus effect is somewhat reflective of those governing this country

[Guyver]

Thanks bro for your vote of confidence

 

I thought many will shun this thread as boring and baseless.

 

It is not boring .... it's just D-A-M-N long!!

[Scwee]

wow!! very well written.

 

i remember our MM also said ERP 'may not work' some time ago.

[Scwee]

long until bo-way-kong