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LoginUltimate Blow to Motorists, Yet to Come...
63 posts
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Longer you stay on busy roads, the more you pay
Christopher Tan
Thu, Feb 07, 2008
The Straits Times
A SATELLITE-TRACKED electronic road-pricing system that could charge drivers for using congested roads anywhere in Singapore may be ready as early as 2010.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has just completed a series of field tests spanning over a year to determine the reliability of such infrastructure, which operates without gantries and is based on the Global Positioning System (GPS).While many details, including pricing, have yet to be worked out, the LTA indicated that Singapore is poised to be one of the first cities in the world to use such a system.
It will rely on GPS-enabled in-vehicle units (IUs) to track where drivers go, as well as the distance they clock.
Drivers are likely to be charged based on how long they stay on the road, to better reflect their actual contribution to congestion.
It is understood that one advantage of the new system is that it can determine quickly when and where congestion is occurring, and levy charges accordingly. Motorists will also benefit: The IU can notify them that they are approaching a priced road.Dr Chin Kian Keong, the LTA's transportation chief engineer, called the satellite-tracking system 'a sharper tool' for controlling congestion than the current fixed gantry system.
He told The Straits Times on Monday that system trials were completed last December, and participants were from 10 companies, five of which were local. Each fielded between four and 10 vehicles equipped with GPS hardware and software.
Using such a system, which The Straits Times learns could be ready by 2010 or 2011, could mean that ERP rates would be more commensurate with a road user's actual contribution to congestion.
The current gantry system does not differentiate between, say, a vehicle that enters the CBD and is parked in an office building all day, and one that stays on the road for hours - a taxi or delivery truck, for example - and increases congestion.
One of the main aims of the recent field tests was to determine if a gantry-less system could be as reliable as the current decade-old scheme.
LTA chief engineer Leong Kwok Weng said results showed that accuracy was 'well over' 90 per cent in open areas such as expressways, and 30 per cent in the city.
The reason for the low accuracy rate in the city is what engineers call the 'urban canyon effect', where satellite signals are reflected off high-rises, causing distorted readings.
But Dr Chin said that there are ways of working around this, including setting up signal beacons on curbs or buildings.
Using such a system will also benefit motorists, he added.
For instance, it could help drivers navigate in unfamiliar areas and alert them to congested roads and suggest alternatives.
Dr Chin said that Singapore hopes to be the first in the world to use the new system, adding that the LTA 'hopes to proceed without having to have another trial'.
London is another city which has been looking at implementing a similar scheme.
Although Germany uses a GPS-based toll system, it is only for billing heavy trucks on the autobahn
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You will still be charged in the carpark mate.
They are really making this place hard to breathe. Another FTR Policy : For The Rich
Again we are paying for somebody's screw-ups; releasing too many COEs
When are they getting out of our lives? I feel like I am in a social experiment, rats for testing.
Makes me determined to get outta here as soon as I make my money.
I see no future here ...... sorry to say that people.
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And there is probably seaon berthing coupons for ur boat ...
Anyway, back to the main topic, so how, are there going really going to implement it? It seems to me that, a person travelling on uncongested roads has to pay for congestion on other roads, just simply because he is on the road ??? It is like charging u ERP if u travel from Jurong to Tuas ???
Secondly, really how accurate is the GPS? I once, the GPS of a Taxi, lagging by a bus stop distance> If the system implement is only just similar, can it update the driver in time to avoid congestion, or will the driver have to face congestion even with their 'state of the art' equipment ???
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I got an idea.....
How about S'poreans boycott Car Ownership...... think about it
If you don't own a car.... ERP, COE and
even road tax won't affect you. Rising oil price would affect you
less..... you could also save in parking your car in expensive
HDB parking lot. It will also be good for the air PSI level in
S'pore..... not including stopping Globle Warming and saving the
environment All these could happen by JUST NOT OWNING A CAR
But if you still want to own a car...... then you only have yourself to blame when you pay & pay....
Edited by hloc 08 Feb `08, 9:27PM
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Originally posted by hloc:
I got an idea.....
How about S'poreans boycott Car Ownership...... think about it
If you don't own a car.... ERP, COE and
even road tax won't affect you. Rising oil price would affect you
less..... you could also save in parking your car in expensive
HDB parking lot. It will also be good for the air PSI level in
S'pore..... not including stopping Globle Warming and saving the
environment All these could happen by JUST NOT OWNING A CAR
But if you still want to own a car...... then you only have yourself to blame when you pay & pay....
You will still need to pay ERP when you take a cab
Then when the public transport utilisation increase, they will increase the fares further. Don't be surprised when they decide to start charging more for train rides during the peak hours, just like the ERP system.
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Originally posted by hloc:
I got an idea.....
How about S'poreans boycott Car Ownership...... think about it
If you don't own a car.... ERP, COE and
even road tax won't affect you. Rising oil price would affect you
less..... you could also save in parking your car in expensive
HDB parking lot. It will also be good for the air PSI level in
S'pore..... not including stopping Globle Warming and saving the
environment All these could happen by JUST NOT OWNING A CAR
But if you still want to own a car...... then you only have yourself to blame when you pay & pay....
I second this.
Most places in Singapore you can get there within an hour by the bus and MRT. The less-accessible places you can take a taxi - the occasional $20 should be peanuts compared to the amount motorists pay for a full tank of petrol.
If you think public transport is too crowded, think again... would you rather squeeze a little or squeeze your wallet dry by burning petrol, sitting in a stationery car in the middle of the expressway?
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Originally posted by charlize:
Train rides will cost $5 to $10 soon.
And you need to stand some more.
And the vicious price increase cycle continues.
From cars to cabs to MRT to bicycles.
You want to walk to the bus stop?
$2 please.
Then increase price some more so that less people take then don't need to stand
Back to Kampong style and walk 10km to your work place
We all also can be transport minister liao
Edited by eagle 08 Feb `08, 9:58PM
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Originally posted by gd4u:
IF those are really money bloody suckers ... When the shift starts to occur (from private veh to public transport), u think they wouldn't come out with some policy to suck ur moeny ...
Obviously.
Increased numbers of people taking public transport implies that they will have to increase the frequency of trains/buses and this means increasing fares to cover the additional costs of operation.
It's a no win situation for Singaporeans whichever way you want to look at it.
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Originally posted by eagle:
You will still need to pay ERP when you take a cab
Then when the public transport utilisation increase, they will increase the fares further. Don't be surprised when they decide to start charging more for train rides during the peak hours, just like the ERP system.
Not sure about you.... But I don't take Cab very often. And will try my best not to do so.... And if I really need a cab (like returning from the airport with 28kg of baggage), then for my comfort, I'm willing to pay. But most ppl, including you and me, won't be taking cabs daily right....
And if they do increase the cost of public transportation...... it will still be CHEAPER than owning a Car. Just as the fares will go up.... so will the cost of upkeeping a cars.
Look at it this way.... Since most ppl in this thread think that the Govt is trying to somehow 'Cheat' or 'Con' their money with the ERP, COE...... Don't you think that NOT BUYING A CAR, is a way to show Govt ''THE FINGER''
I mean what are all of you waiting
for..... this is your chance to Not let them
take more money from you .... and all you have to do is
NOT OWN ANY
CAR I agree that in the end, they would still somehow make you pay..... but at least in a smaller way. The bus companies can't be charging you $1 extra if you are going to the CBD at peak hour......
But of course..... if anyone still plan to own a car.... then you could only blame yourself for pay & pay....
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Originally posted by eagle:
Then increase price some more so that less people take then don't need to stand
Back to Kampong style and walk 10km to your work place
We all also can be transport minister liao
Yes.We can all be the transport minister.
Their solutions have always been "increase price" lor.
How hard is it to think of such a solution?
After all, you don't really need to factor in welfare and well being of Singaporeans when you come up with these policies.
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Originally posted by hloc:
Not sure about you.... But I don't take Cab very often. And will try my best not to do so.... And if I really need a cab (like returning from the airport with 28kg of baggage), then for my comfort, I'm willing to pay. But most ppl, including you and me, won't be taking cabs daily right.... And if they do increase the cost of public transportation...... it will still be CHEAPER than owning a Car. Just as the fares will go up.... so will the cost of upkeeping a cars.
Look at it this way.... Since most ppl in this thread think that the Govt is trying to somehow 'Cheat' or 'Con' their money with the ERP, COE...... Don't you think that NOT BUYING A CAR, is a way to show Govt ''THE FINGER''
I mean what are all of you waiting
for..... this is your chance to Not let them
take more money from you .... and all you have to do is
NOT OWN ANY
CAR I agree that in the end, they would still somehow make you pay..... but at least in a smaller way. The bus companies can't be charging you $1 extra if you are going to the CBD at peak hour......
But of course..... if anyone still plan to own a car.... then you could only blame yourself for pay & pay....
I have not taken a cab since the previous increase (not the recent one).
Don't give the bus companies any more idea. Next thing you know, because of the recent increase in ERP rates, bus fares will have to be raised by another 5 cents to 10 cents.
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Originally posted by eagle:
I have not taken a cab since the previous increase (not the recent one).
Don't give the bus companies any more idea. Next thing you know, because of the recent increase in ERP rates, bus fares will have to be raised by another 5 cents to 10 cents.
Since i don't work for the transportation minister, I don't know will the next fare rise be 5 or 10 cents.... but I do know that the ERP will rise much much more..... Protect the Environment, Slow Globle Warming, Better Air for our Children.... and most happily, show Transport Minister ''The Finger"...... All by NOT OWING A CAR.
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