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At long last, after more than a decade of discussion, tests and trials, GPS (global positioning system) satellite-tracked ERP (electronic road pricing) is deemed to be technically feasible here. This makes Singapore the fi rst country in the world to fi nd an “eye-in-the-sky” solution to “pricing” the multitude of vehicles that zip through its thick urban jungle of high-rise buildings and capillary network of roads. All others have failed – or at least, none have arrived at an accuracy level that is acceptable, or devised a model that is cost effective. Germany is about the only place where GPS satellite technology is used for road tolls, but that is isolated to heavy trucks on its autobahns. Even though GPS technology has been around for decades, with onboard navigation now as commonplace as Bluetooth connectivity, a pricing application is a different ball game. The main hurdle has been the “canyon effect” posed by a city’s dense conglomerate of tall structures, which can muddle up signals and lead to incorrect pricing. Considering Singapore’s low tolerance for errors, the conclusion that satellite ERP is now feasible is a remarkable milestone. The development will not only allow us to dismantle the 70-plus ugly blue-and-white gantries that dot our cityscape, it will also allow us access to a host of urban transport solutions that are currently manual and inefficient. These include coupon-less street parking, flexible tariffs for Off-Peak Car usage, recovery of stolen vehicles, and “live” traffi c information feeding an intelligent navigation system (perhaps one that tells you the cost and time of a choice of routes). In fact, such a technology can also be adapted to enforce the law in illegal parking, “catch” certain traffi c violations, and even determine motor insurance premiums, which are adjusted according to the way you drive (i.e. the risk factor). But satellite ERP’s main purpose is more effi cient road pricing, with its killer application being distance-based charging. This is where the Singapore leadership gets to put its political will to the test again.Will the government be bold enough to implement charging-by-distance-driven? Or will satellite ERP be yet another high-tech toy for Land Transport Authority engineers to “play” with? Already, we seem to be witnessing a reluctance to use the gantry-based system to control congestion. The maximum Cashcard deduction of $5 is negligible compared to the depreciation rate of an everyday car (about $30 per day). The preference has been to use upfront measures to keep our roads relatively clear, such as the vehicle quota system and punitive registration taxes. Upfront expenses, once paid, are forgotten, but a beeping in-vehicle unit (IU) is a daily and unpopular reminder. Which is probably why we often see owners of $400,000 limousines stopping by the road shoulder to wait out the remaining minutes of an ERP period. Or for that matter, those who park illegally because they loathe using a 50-cent parking coupon. So, a distance-based congestion pricing system that charges, say, 50 cents or one dollar per kilometre, could be even more unpopular with these people. They also won’t have the opportunity to park illegally or park without paying any more. It would be a shame if the capability of the second-generation ERP system isn’t fully exploited. It would be like buying a Ferrari, only to use it for grocery runs. This article was written by Christopher Tan, consulting editor for Torque.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) recently announced some good news with regards to Electronic Road Pricing rates recently. Firstly, the much derided night time ERP on the Northbound CTE has been abolished. From now on, the ERP gantry on the Northbound CTE before the Pan Island Expressway will operate until 8pm, like every other ERP gantry, instead of the ridiculous 10.30pm. And now, there is joy for those who take the same expressway Southbound towards town in the morning, as the LTA has announced reduced rates for the gantry before Braddell Road in the morning, going down from $2 to $1 between 8 and 9am. But is this really good news? On the surface, yes it is. I mean, any breaks that drivers get when it comes to cutting down driving costs has to be savoured and cherished, because they don't exactly come often. But there has been doubts raised already with regards to the reduction in ERP rates, especially in the evening. Some people forsee a return to congestion during that time, as motorists flood the CTE once again once the gantry has been turned off after 8pm. But others argue that it is their perogative as to whether they want to be stuck in a jam when going home anyway. Personally, it doesn't affect me directly as I don't travel on that particular route often, but I think it's yet another example of the Government's indecisiveness when it comes to traffic control. It appears that Singapore wants to go back to the days where cars are prohibitively expensive, but usage costs are reduced. Whether this will actually work to reduce congestion remains to be seen, especially with our island's population now nearly reaching double of what it was during the last time this happened (namely the 1990s). But it's certainly going to be interesting to see how the Government deals with Singapore's transport problems in the next few years ahead.

LTA first implemented the Electronic Road Pricing system back in September of 1998 as a means of curbing increasing traffic in the city area. Ok, if I pretended to be a little naive, I could almost believe that they were genuinely implementing the system to aid in traffic flow. The revenue generating aspect of the system was just a fringe benefit. That was 12 years ago. Some how I get the feeling that the ERP has slowly shifted into its primary purpose over the years. These days, it's more of a revenue generating instrument for the government than a traffic regulating system. Why do I say that? Well, while I was on my way home last night from Suntec, I took the Northbound CTE towards Ang Mo Kio to get home. At the time when I spotted the ERP gantry (the one between PIE and Braddell exit), it was already 9:30pm. It was quite ridiculous to me that the gantry's 'In Operation' sign was still on and it was stated that it'll be on till 10pm. What I don't get is, after a whole day of charging people for going into the city area, is it really necessary to charge them a second time on the way out as well? No matter what LTA says, they're just fattening up their coffers. Even if the intention was to regulate traffic leaving town, is it necessary to keep the ERP on till 10pm? Seriously? That's not the only example. On 7 April 2008, LTA began operating their shiny new gantry at the entrance to the Toa Payoh residential estate. It is located right smack at the entrance with no escape for anyone coming off Braddell Road. Now, why would you need to put a gantry at the entrance to a residential area? To 'regulate' traffic? I don't think so. Why else would they plant one of those gantries at a residential area then? Well, I'll leave that to your imagination. What's next? Place a gantry at the lift lobby of every HDB? Have you ever wondered why the ERP was so easily implemented upon the local people? When Hong Kong tried to implement the same system, the territory's inhabitants vehemently opposed it. The government had no choice but to back down and were forced to shelve the plans. Unfortunately, unlike the people in the territory, the docility of our population is unmatched anywhere else. When the government introduces a policy that the population doesn't agree with, we'll just grumble. Like MM Lee once said in an interview, "Singaporeans are champion grumblers". But that's about all we do. Due to that, the ERP system will only grow more numerous with time. Until there's a cohesive effort to object the placement of more gantries, all we can do is grumble. Lest the government invokes the Internal Security Act. Sigh... Here's a glimpse into the future that awaits us...a future that isn't too far from reality at all... PRESENT The FUTURE This picture here takes the cake...hahaha