More major roads may be subject to ERP

[Darthrevan]

Transport Minister warns of ‘major consequences’ of a transport model that is overly reliant on cars

Major thoroughfares such as Alexandra Road and Holland Road may be subject to Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) if traffic speeds fall below the optimal range of 20 and 30km/h, according to the refreshed Land Transport Master Plan that was released yesterday.

Other than the two roads, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is also keeping an eye on Jalan Bukit Merah, Commonwealth Avenue, Telok Blangah Road and Depot Road.

These roads are currently within the optimal speed range, but the LTA added, “should these roads become congested, we will implement ERP there as well”.

These roads are near the Ayer-Rajah Expressway, where traffic congestion around the Clementi area has been deteriorating. From the middle of next year, motorists will have to pay ERP as three gantries will be installed to help improve the flow of eastbound traffic towards the city during the morning and evening peak hours.

As he launched the new master plan, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew yesterday cautioned about the “major consequences” of a transport model that is overly reliant on cars.

First, the environmental impact would be “significant”. While measures to reduce such impact can only mitigate, they will fundamentally not solve the problem, Mr Lui said. “Fuel efficiency and technology alone will not be sufficient to bring down transport emissions, without a reduction in demand,” he added.

Second, building a new road or widening an existing one in land scarce Singapore may mean that roads are built closer to homes and the living environment becomes noisier and less comfortable, Mr Lui said.

Despite strict policies on car ownership, Singapore’s car population grew 11 per cent between 2008 and last year, while resident population only grew 5 per cent in the same period.

“The car is not a basic necessity in Singapore given our easy access to public transport,” the new master plan said. “Going forward, we will build new roads primarily to serve new residential centres and economic activities. Expansion and improvements to existing roads will mainly be to support the movement of buses so as to bring about a better public transport experience.”

The LTA is currently studying how an underground road system could serve the new waterfront city area that will extend from Marina Bay to Pasir Panjang, via Telok Blangah. The underground road system was first mooted in the 1980s as two concentric rings of underground tunnels, each about 15 kilometres long, which would encircle the city area.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/more-major-roads-may-be-subject-erp

[Simplecar]

Cannot understand why they go round putting up gantries, and more so when no one is complaining.
If they really want to increase the average speed, they just need to further reduce the number of COEs, and stop approving high-density commercial/office buildings in a locale. i.e. to decentralise office developments.

 

JE will be another place where there will be gridlock. Dont blame the motorist for causing this.

[Carmour]

I support the idea of increasing cost of car usage.

 

The govt should move towards a low car cost of ownership and high cost of car usage.

This will reduce congestion as people will think twice before driving out. At the same time, standard of living improves as people have a car to use when they really need it.

[Wt_know]

i think you missed the point

govt is moving towards SKY HIGH cost of ownership and SIBEI HIGH cost of car usage

there is only high + high in the dictionary ...

 

what's wrong with collecting more money?

 

 

I support the idea of increasing cost of car usage.

 

The govt should move towards a low car cost of ownership and high cost of car usage.

This will reduce congestion as people will think twice before driving out. At the same time, standard of living improves as people have a car to use when they really need it.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Wt_know

[Watwheels]

Talk c0ck lah. Who squeezed so many ppl on a tiny island in the first place? What did this surge in population did to our transport network?

 

Let me point out to you what the surge in population did:

 

1) Public transportation cannot cope causing trains and buses to breakdown more often.

2) When public transportation is no longer reliable where to ppl turn to? Personal transport aka cars lor.

3) Surge in car ownership leads to congested roads.

4) Even so public transportation is still packed full of passengers.

5) During peak hours where are the taxis? It's either occupied or not in sight.

6) Cycling must depend on what route to take otherwise it will become suicidal. Not many cycling route options.

 

Overly reliant on cars? Is that the root cause?

What are the transport options open to the crowded public in the first place?

 

Even if the authorities install erp on all the major roads also no point. If want to collect more erp monies just say so. Dun have to put the blame on road users.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Watwheels

[Nzy]

I support the idea of increasing cost of car usage.

 

The govt should move towards a low car cost of ownership and high cost of car usage.

This will reduce congestion as people will think twice before driving out. At the same time, standard of living improves as people have a car to use when they really need it.

 

I agree. Cuz many people want to own a car. Even if it is very expensive to drive out, they will just leave the car at home.

[Brx]

Our govt really know how to milk ppl.

 

Really a good time to raise ERP price and put more gantries.

 

"ERP... $1 more.... Hmm.. My car... $93K for the COE... Awww what the heck!" Vrrrroooom... *Beep*

[Roh96]

i think you missed the point

govt is moving towards SKY HIGH cost of ownership and SIBEI HIGH cost of car usage

there is only high + high in the dictionary ...

 

what's wrong with collecting more money?

 

 

 

I like this phrase.

[Ichibawa]

Why still waste money building gantries when they are already talking about GPS deduction system (pay as you drive scheme)?

[Columbian78]

I think this was the policy less than 1 COE cycle ago. They made it cheap for people to buy car and then make it costly to run it so that people only use it when there is a need. So they release huge COE quotas, cars became chaep and people bought them.

When cars are expensive (even during 2007-2009 levels) relative to the cost of running them, people will run them anyway. Unless we are talking about $20 erps and $50 per entry parking. Even then the parking capacity will become a big issue if the car population is allowed to balloon dramatically. I am not optimistic that the mechanised carpark scheme is going to work out on a big scale.

 

The only real long term solution is to make the public transport system so good that people desire owning cars less. I am positive about our public transport over the next decade with all those new lines coming up. The challenge will be keeping them breakdown-free.

 

 

I support the idea of increasing cost of car usage.

 

The govt should move towards a low car cost of ownership and high cost of car usage.

This will reduce congestion as people will think twice before driving out. At the same time, standard of living improves as people have a car to use when they really need it.

 

[Comnao]

He is really trying to say he is very sick and tired of collecting million of dollars a year

 

So he is begging everyone to have mercy on him by kicking him out of office in 2016

[Jerrcik]

Very simple. Transport costs increase...I just push it to the consumers.

 

Those whom support high costs for cars...please just leave it to the cars and not my commercial vehicles.

 

 

[Nzy]

On a positive note does it mean that the GPS ERP thing is not going to be implemented in the near future? More gantries not as bad as being charged the moment you move your car.

[Chucky2007]

Nobody ask "Mr Minister, have you been taking public transport instead of driving? Your wife and children also on public transport? If they are not, then are you equally reliant on car"?

[Nullifi3d]

For me i gave up riding and started taking public transport to work full time. Its been 2 months and i feel that its not so bad after all. I only spend about 10-15mins more on my journeys but i'm less tired, less perspired (riding big bikes in heavy traffic does cook your balls), and i save a little bit more.

 

As long as i remain in my current job, and my office location doesn't change i'm quite fine with the current lifestyle. I still do drive but on the weekends and i enjoy it more.

[Passion]

Too many cars, increase COE hoping to solve the problem. After increasing COE still can't solve the problem, increase ERP hoping to solve the problem. Why not we solve the problem by changing the whole cabinet of minister? I guess it will solve most of the complains.

For me i gave up riding and started taking public transport to work full time. Its been 2 months and i feel that its not so bad after all. I only spend about 10-15mins more on my journeys but i'm less tired, less perspired (riding big bikes in heavy traffic does cook your balls), and i save a little bit more.

 

As long as i remain in my current job, and my office location doesn't change i'm quite fine with the current lifestyle. I still do drive but on the weekends and i enjoy it more.

Actually depends from people to people. It will takes me 1hr 10mins or so and transfer 3 buses to reach my workplace. Whereas if I drive, I will just need to take 20mins to reach. Comparing my sleep time to wasting time in jams, I guess sleep time more important. Unless in between waiting time for bus can cut down to 3mins, I'll switch to public transport. Wearing formal attire and stand under the rising sun to wait for bus is no joke. Early in the morning before work start machiam like run 2.4km ippt. Just doesn't make sense at all.

[Sdf5725]

For me i gave up riding and started taking public transport to work full time. Its been 2 months and i feel that its not so bad after all. I only spend about 10-15mins more on my journeys but i'm less tired, less perspired (riding big bikes in heavy traffic does cook your balls), and i save a little bit more.

 

As long as i remain in my current job, and my office location doesn't change i'm quite fine with the current lifestyle. I still do drive but on the weekends and i enjoy it more.

you are one lucky guy. my friend gave up riding one month ago and found that it cost 3 times more to take public transport to office than he ride. Now he is getting a COE motorcycle to ride again as the price of public transport is so high for him. If ppl opt for public transport and abandon their ride or drive, there will be more and more reason for the cost of public transport to increase further, it will be much much higher than now and the minister next suggestion will be cycling or walking to work.

and obviously, you fall in the group that you do not need to drive to work and if ppl like you go and take the public transport, the road will be less congested.

Edited October 10, 2013 by Sdf5725

[Kxbc]

"Other than the two roads, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is also keeping an eye on Jalan Bukit Merah, Commonwealth Avenue, Telok Blangah Road and Depot Road."

 

Depot Rd needs a gantry? Sure or not? It is just a short small road leading into a small peaceful HDB estate with CMPB at one end and Interlace at the other. I think Depot Rd is at most 3km long.

 

Used to live there many years ago just before they re-developed the HDB flats there. Traffic where got heavy? Have things changed so much there since then?