Revised ERP Rates On ERP-Priced Roads And Expressways From 5 February 2007

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1729

ERP rates at 5 gantries to be increased from next Monday

ERP rates at 5 gantries will be increased by 50 cents for all classes of vehicles, starting next Monday, 7th May.

This revision was made after the Land Transport Authority completed its quarterly review of traffic conditions on ERP-priced roads and expressways.

The affected gantries are:

CTE gantry north of Braddell Road between 8am and 9am;

CTE gantry south of Braddell Road between 8.30am and 9am;

PIE gantry at Kallang Bahru from 8.30am to 9am;

PIE gantry at the slip road into CTE from 8am to 9am;

the gantry along Bendemeer Road from 9am to 9.30am.

Revised ERP Rates On ERP-Priced Roads And Expressways

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1764

ERP rates to be reduced for June 2007 school holidays

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will reduce the ERP rates by 50 cents for the coming June 2007 school holidays.

This follows a review of traffic conditions on ERP-priced roads and expressways.

The affected gantries are:

Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE)

ECP (Fort Road)

ECP (Ophir Road)

PIE (Adam)

Handy Road

Central Business District

Bendemeer Road

Dunearn Road

Thomson Road

The new rates will apply from 26 May 2007 to 23 June 2007 and will revert to the pre-June 2007 school holiday rates from 25 June 2007.

Revised ERP Rates On ERP-Priced Roads And Expressways From 6 August 2007

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1804

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, July 31

ERP rates at Orchard, YMCA and Fort Canning Tunnel to go up

SINGAPORE : The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is increasing Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates for motorists entering the Orchard Road area.

From August 6, cars passing the Orchard, YMCA and Fort Canning Tunnel gantries will be charged an additional $0.50. That makes it $1 per entry.

Rates for motorcycles will also double to $0.50.

Goods vehicles and small buses will now be charged $1.50.

Heavy goods vehicles and big buses will be charged $2. - CNA /ls

Expanding ERP Coverage To Better Manage Congestion

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1813

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, October 30

ERP rates going up again for third time this year

SINGAPORE : Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are going up again for the third time this year.

There will also be new gantries erected.

The highest amount will be charged at the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). The gantry affected is the one at the slip road into the Central Expressway (CTE).

From November 5, motorists will pay $3.50 from 7:30am to 8:00am. The amount charged goes up to $5.00 between 8:30am and 9:00am. This is a $1.50 increase in the 8:30am to 9:00am period since February this year.

The latest hike comes just days after the opening of the Kallang—Payar Lebar Expressway (KPE) Tunnel.

The KPE is expected to ease congestion on the CTE when it opens fully late next year.

ERP rates will also go up by 50 cents at six other gantries.

The CTE gantry north of Braddell Road will cost $2.50 between 7:30am and 8:00am.

Three CTE gantries south of Braddell Road will cost $4.00 between 8:30am and 9:00am.

Those travelling along Bendemeer Road will have to pay $1.50 from 8:30am to 9:00am, instead of the current $1.

Drivers on Thomson Road will also have to pay $1.50 between 8:30am and 9:00am.

New ERP gantries will also start operating on November 5.

There will be one on the north—bound CTE just before the PIE exit, and two along the east—bound ECP before the Rochor Road exit and Ophir Road slip road.

There is also another one on the south—bound Bukit Timah Expressway after the Dairy Farm exit before it joins the PIE. — CNA /ls

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, November 6

New ERP charges take effect

SINGAPORE: New Electronic Road Pricing charges came into effect on Monday.

Motorists affected are those who travel on the Central Expressway (CTE), Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) and East Coast Parkway (ECP).

The latest increase in charges is the third hike this year.

Most motorists moving south on the CTE have been able to move faster, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

This is possible because there are fewer vehicles due to higher ERP charges.

The biggest rise affects those moving on the CTE from the Pan—Island Expressway (PIE), which went up from S$4.50 to a record S$5.

While the increases on the ERP charges on expressways are mostly between 50 cents and a dollar, the charges imposed are more frequent.

Motorists on the south—bound CTE used to have to pay ERP charges between 7.30am to 9.30am on weekdays.

But now, that period has been extended to four hours from 7am to 11am, between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Braddell Road.

New gantries have also been erected.

North—bound on the CTE, a new gantry is in place just before the PIE exit, and motorists are being charged from 5.30pm till 10.30pm on weekdays.

Another evening charge is for those travelling east—bound on the ECP, with a new gantry just before the Rochor Road exit.

There is also another one at the Ophir Road slip road, towards East Coast. The charges will apply between 6pm and 8pm.

Just after the Dairy Farm exit, before the BKE joins the PIE, another new gantry is operational from 7.30am to 9am.

LTA said the traffic flow along alternative routes such as Lornie Road, Thomson Road and Bendemeer Road, remains satisfactory.

On the BKE, a traffic incident reportedly affected traffic flow near the new ERP gantry.

LTA added that it usually takes a few days for traffic to stabilise after ERP rates are revised and new gantries are erected.

Another measure that is kicking in is that more Traffic Marshals will extend their coverage on the roads.

The Traffic Marshals are now covering the Fort Canning Tunnel, CTE as well as the Kallang—Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE).

The LTA said it is increasing the number of Traffic Marshals from six to 17.

So far, the Traffic Marshals have attended to three incidents of vehicle breakdowns in the KPE tunnel.

But LTA said the number of incidents will probably rise, once the Fort Canning Tunnel and CTE are included.

LTA added that it is evaluating the Marshals’ performance by benchmarking it against its existing vehicle recovery service. — CNA/so

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, November 13

ERP charges for some gantries to go down temporarily

SINGAPORE: Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates will come down temporarily by S$0.50 on some roads and expressways in the CBD area during the year—end school holidays next month.

The revised rates will apply on East Coast Parkway (ECP), Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), Bendemeer Road, Dunearn Road and Thomson Road from November 17 till December 31.

The rates will revert to the pre—December rates starting January 2, 2008.

The ERP rates will be reviewed again in February, which will be the first quarterly rate review for the year 2008. — CNA/ac

Reduction In ERP Rates
For The December 2007 School Holiday Period

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1855

N/A

ERP rates to go up by S$0.50 at certain gantries from February 4

SINGAPORE: Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are set to go up by S$0.50 starting 4 February, according to the Land Transport Authority.

At the Bukit Timah Expressway gantry, motorists will be charged S$1.00 from 7.30am to 8am, and S$1.50 from 8am to 8.30am.

At the Central Expressway (CTE) gantry north of Braddell Road, ERP rates will go up to S$1.00 for those driving from 7.00am to 7.30am. The same charge applies to those driving along the Pan—Island Expressway (PIE) at Adam Road from 8am to 8.30am.

Those going through the nine gantries at Orchard Road, the YMCA and Fort Canning gantries will have to fork out S$1.00 on weekdays from 7pm to 8pm. The same charge applies for those gantries on Saturday afternoons as well, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. — CNA/ac

http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/index_corp_press.htm

Channel NewsAsia - 1 hour 24 minutes ago

More ERP gantries, higher ERP rates to ease congestion

SINGAPORE : More electronic road pricing (or ERP) gantries will be put up and some ERP rates will be raised as part of the government’s wide ranging move to ease traffic congestion.

In addition, the rate of annual vehicle growth will be moderated but road taxes will be cut.

In the last of three major announcements on changes to the land transport system, Transport Minister Raymond Lim says even as public transport is being improved, firm steps must be taken to curb excessive car travel demand.

So the incremental ERP charge will be raised from 50 cents to S$1 progressively from July.

At the same time, the ERP base charge, which is the starting charge for a new ERP gantry point, will be increased from S$1 to S$2.

The number of vehicles on the road is also set to go down.

From May 2009, the rate of annual vehicle growth will be halved — from 3 percent to 1.5 percent.

But road taxes will be reduced by 15 percent from July this year as part of the general move towards taxing based on usage, rather than ownership.

To lower the upfront cost of car ownership, the Additional Registration Fee (or ARF) will be lowered from 110 percent of the Open Market Value (or OMV) to 100 percent from March.

On the new gantries, 16 will come up in phases during the year.

On April 7, the gantries at Upper Bukit Timah Road, Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Geylang Bahru Road and Kallang Bahru Road will be switched on.

On July 7, five new gantries will run along the Singapore River line — from Clemenceau Avenue to Fullerton Road — at Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Fullerton Road.

Then on November 3, six new gantries will come up — at Commonwealth Avenue, Jalan Bukit Merah, Alexandra Road, AYE (westbound) and PIE (westbound) near Eunos and Serangoon Road.

Mr Lim explained that the ERP system has largely remained unchanged since it was introduced 10 years ago so it has to be enhanced to address current and future traffic conditions.

He made the announcements during a visit to the Kallang—Paya Lebar Expressway on Wednesday morning. — CNA/ch

More ERP gantries, higher ERP rates, but motorists to get road tax cuts

SINGAPORE : More ERP gantries, higher ERP rates, and halving the annual vehicle growth rate to 1.5% — these are some of the main announcements by Transport Minister Raymond Lim in the final instalment of changes under the land transport review.

But the bitter pill of more ERP was accompanied by some sweeteners, such as a permanent 15% cut in road tax for all vehicles and a multi—billion dollar improvement programme for expressways.

Singapore has the same problem faced by many other growing cities in the world — an insatiable appetite for cars, leading to congestion and possible gridlock. Singapore transport officials said congestion has climbed 25% since 1999.

Drawing out the future road map, the transport minister said the problems made three things certain.

"First, not everybody can drive to and from work, it’s just not possible. Two, the trade—offs that we face will become sharper. The more cars that we put on the road, the higher your ERP charges will be and the more extensive the ERP coverage will have to be," said the Transport Minister.

"Three, even if we have higher ERP charges and more extensive ERP coverage, given where the car population is today and that road growth is trending down, we will still have to moderate our vehicle population growth," Mr Lim continued.

So, ERP coverage will be expanded, where 16 more gantries will be activated this year, adding to the current 55.

On April 7, the gantries at Upper Bukit Timah Road, Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Geylang Bahru and Kallang Bahru will be activated.

On July 7, there will be five new gantries on roads along the Singapore River area. These are at Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and both sides of Fullerton Road.

On November 3, there will be six more gantries at Commonwealth Avenue, Jalan Bukit Merah, Alexandra Road, AYE (westbound) and PIE (westbound) and Serangoon Road.

While these gantries kick in this year, solid public transport improvements are still some years away, so interim measures will be implemented immediately.

The frequency of basic bus services along ERP—affected corridors will be increased from 15 minutes to 12 minutes by June, and 10 minutes by next August. The frequency of feeder services will also go up.

And for the first time, buses will be allowed to duplicate services along mature rail lines.

Premium bus services will also be expanded from the current 42 to 72 by June, with priority for areas affected by the ERP expansion. — CNA /ls

Five ERP Gantries To Begin Operations On 7 April

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1917

Channel NewsAsia - 1 hour 11 minutes ago

New ERP gantries catch some motorists by surprise

SINGAPORE: Some motorists were not aware that five new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries were activated on Monday.

At 8am, four new ERP gantries were switched on, but the fifth one was activated half an hour later.

It was a quiet scene at Geylang Bahru, with little traffic at the start of the ERP operating hours.

But at Toa Payoh, a few motorists were taken by surprise.

Upon seeing the gantry, some stopped in the middle of road to insert their CashCards while others got off the road, causing traffic behind to build up.

"I didn’t know there was a gantry here. I couldn’t remember," said a motorist.

A few motorcyclists got off their motorcycles and took a detour to avoid paying the toll charge.

Motorists had mixed reactions to the new gantries.

Some did not see a real cut in their usual travelling time at the Toa Payoh stretch while others felt it was a slightly smoother ride.

But there were other issues.

A member of the public said: "Definitely it’s troublesome for residents staying around here. It’s added cost for us."

Another complained: "It brings a lot of inconvenience for all of us here... We have to buy (something), but we purposely... wait until after 9... to come here and buy (it)."

Other more enterprising motorists, however, have figured out a plan.

A motorist said: "Ever since they erected the ERP (gantry), people... have managed to find... other routes."

The five new gantries are located at Upper Bukit Timah Road, Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Geylang Bahru and Kallang Bahru.

In a statement issued on Monday evening, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said traffic volumes went down at the five gantry locations on the first day of operation. This led to an 8—25 per cent increase in travelling speed on the affected roads. — CNA/ac

Channel NewsAsia - 50 minutes ago

ERP rate for Bukit Timah Expressway gantry to be revised

SINGAPORE: From 5 May, the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rate for the Bukit Timah Expressway gantry will be increased by 50 cents to S$1.50.

The change will apply for the period between 7.30am and 8.00am.

There will be no changes to the ERP rates for other gantries.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is revising the rate after it has completed its quarterly review of traffic conditions on ERP—priced roads and expressways.

LTA said this is to ensure optimal traffic flow on Singapore’s roads. — CNA/so

Lower ERP rates for June holidays

IN anticipation of lower vehicle volumes and thus smoother flowing traffic during the June school holidays, electronic road-pricing rates at several gantries will be reduced by 50 cents per pass per car.

The Land Transport Authority said on Tuesday that the reduction applies to the following gantries: Ayer Rajah Expressway (eastbound) from 9am to 9.30am.

Central Expressway gantry north of Braddell Road (southbound) from 7.30am to 8am.

Central Expressway gantry before Pan-Island Expressway (northbound) from 5.30pm to 6pm; and from 8pm to 10pm.

East Coast Parkway Fort Road gantry (westbound) from 7.30am to 8.30am.

East Coast Parkway Ophir Road gantry (westbound) from 8am to 9am.

Pan-Island Expressway Kallang Bahru gantry (westbound) from 7.30am to 8am.

Handy Road from 8am to 10am.

Central Business District from 8am to 10am.

Bendemeer Road from 7.30am to 8am; and 9am to 9.30am.

Dunearn Road from 8am to 8.30am.

Kallang Road from 9am to 9.30am.

Thomson Road from 7.30am to 8am; and 9am to 9.30am.

The lower rates apply from May 24 to June 21.

Relocation Of ERP Gantry Along Central Boulevard

1. To facilitate the construction of Downtown Line Stage 1, the current ERP gantry on Central Boulevard will be relocated about 180 metres further up the road. The relocation is necessary to facilitate construction works from Landmark Station to Cross Street Station.

2. The columns for the new gantry will be installed on Thursday, 12 June 08 and the gantry installation will be completed on Thursday, 19 June 2008.

3. During the gantry installation on 19 June, the affected stretch of Central Boulevard between the access road from Maxwell Road / East Coast Parkway (eastbound) to Shenton Way / Cross Street will be closed to traffic from 0001hrs to 0500hrs.

4. During the temporary road closure, motorists will be diverted to Rochor Road via the ECP (eastbound). Alternatively, motorists can make a detour to Prince Edward Road via Marina Station Road. The road will be re-opened after 0500hrs.

5. The switch over of the ERP gantry operation will be carried out on Monday, 28 July 2008. The new gantry will be in operation until Central Boulevard is re-aligned at the end of 2012. The current gantry will be dismantled by Sunday, 17 August 2008.

6. Existing ERP rates and operating hours apply. Informational signboards will be displayed at the slip road of ECP and at Central Boulevard to inform motorists of the relocation of the ERP gantry.

7. Please refer to the attached maps for more information. Should motorists have any queries, they can contact the LTA hotline at 1800-CALL LTA.

Map 1 - Temporary Road Closure At Central Boulevard

Map 2 - Relocation Of ERP Gantry Along Central Boulevard

Channel NewsAsia - 1 hour 38 minutes ago

ERP rates in CBD to go up, 5 new gantries added

SINGAPORE: About half of existing ERP gantries islandwide will see their rates increase from 7 July.

The electronic road pricing (ERP) rates for 32 of 65 gantries will increase by between 50 cents and $2. The gantries are primarily in the Central Business District and Orchard Road.

Five new ERP gantries along the Singapore River will also be activated on 7 July.

Channel NewsAsia - 1 hour 12 minutes ago

New ERP Gantries

For drivers who have lost track of changes to the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP)system and are clueless about new gantry locations and their graduated charges, help is at hand.

Online driving guide Oneshift.com has come up with an interactive map (which can be seen at www.oneshift.com/erp) displaying the ERP gantries in Singapore, including those that will come into operation today, next month and in November.

Users can click on a gantry for a pop—up speech bubble displaying its operating hours and charges. Using Google Maps technology, there will also be a tool that allows drivers to plot the route to their destinations.

“More often than not, people are unsure where the gantries are until they actually encounter them. By then, it’s too late and they would have to pay,” said Oneshift’s founder and managing director Evan Lee, 32.

Oneshift, set up in 2006, is an online motoring magazine and its new function, launched on June 28, was a “natural progression” from the site’s merchant database search function. It was also spurred on by the “mushrooming” of ERP gantries.

Going forward, more improvements are in the pipeline. These include enabling the pop—up bubble to move in tandem with any shifting of the map, allowing users to plot alternative routes to their destinations, and a function that tabulates drivers’ ERP costs when they drive at a certain time of the day.

Oneshift is also in talks with advertisers to generate income from this service. Drivers who tried out Oneshift’s gantry guide felt it was useful but needed tweaking to make it more intuitive and user—friendly.

“In its current state, I think it’ll attract a limited audience. It’s useful, but might not be useful enough to get people back because of the little interface foibles,” said civil servant Soon Ying Jie, 27, who has dabbled in Web design.

“When I plot a route which uses the Central Expressway, it appears like I have to go through four gantries, when not all of them are for south—bound travel,” said Mr Soon.

If the function tabulating total ERP charges and the option for self—plotted routes were added, he said he would “definitely use it”.

Magazine editor Gayle Quah said she would use the guide before heading out of the house. “I’ve entered ERP zones and exited unknowingly, only to pay another two bucks to get in,” said the 31—year—old, who drives to town twice a week. — TODAY/sh

First Day Implementation of New ERP Gantries and
Criteria in the City Centre

1. With the implementation of the new ERP criteria in the city centre and the addition of 5 new gantries along the Singapore River Line, data collected on the first day showed an improvement in travel speeds and traffic conditions.

2. Along the Singapore River, the 5 new gantries have been effective in cutting down through traffic from 6pm to 8pm. Traffic volume dropped by about 30 per cent, and consequently, traffic speeds improved by 9 to 35 per cent, from below the threshold speed of 20 kph before implementation of the 5 new ERP gantries, to between 22 kph and 26 kph, which is within the optimum speed range of 20kph to 30kph. For the entire CBD Cordon, speeds between 6 pm to 8 pm had also gone up, by 9 to 15 per cent, to between 21 kph and 22 kph.

3. While traffic conditions will take time to settle, it is nevertheless an encouraging sign. LTA will continue to monitor traffic conditions closely.

4. Our experience in the last 10 years shows that ERP has been effective in managing congestion, both on expressways and in the city centre. For example, when a new ERP gantry was implemented on the north-bound CTE in November last year, traffic volume during the most congested time period dropped by about 10% and speeds went up by 50%. Similarly, from the experience with Orchard Road ERP implementation, we found that traffic speeds along the Orchard corridor improved from 15 kph to 25kph and stabilised at 23kph. Through traffic using Orchard Road was reduced from more than 30 per cent to about 20 per cent.

5. "Some have questioned if it is timely to raise ERP rates, given the current economic situation. The fact is that congestion, if left unchecked, will have a negative impact on our economy and the quality of our living environment. If we do not manage demand for road use, our roads will eventually become gridlocked and all road users will have no choice but to get stuck in traffic jams. LTA has worked with the transport operators on immediate measures to improve the capacity and speed of the public transport system. The Government has also decided to allow motorists to encash their COE and PARF rebates," said LTA Chief Executive, Mr Yam Ah Mee.

Public Transport Improvements

6. Various measures have been implemented to make public transport a more attractive commuting choice. Mr Yam adds, "Seventy-five premium bus services now supply door-to-door service. The new SBST 128 is plying the southbound section of the North South East West line between Bishan and Ang Mo Kio to address heavy peak hour loading on that line. The recently announced Public Transport Journey Planner, which covers both SMRT and SBST routes and fares on one website, will make planning for trips more convenient. Bus lanes are also added to make bus travel faster and smoother. As of 30 June 2008, peak headways of basic trunk bus services that ply corridors affected by the ERP changes have improved from 15 minutes to 12 minutes on weekdays.

More Choices: PARF/COE Rebates

7. From September onwards, registered car owners of un-used and valid PARF/COE rebates can apply to encash their rebates as an additional option. This initiative is intended to provide flexibility to owners, to make it easier for owners giving up their cars to do so.

8. These initiatives and improvements underline LTA's commitment to provide more choices for commuters, including drivers who decide to switch to public transport.

LTA to review ERP rates for gantries around Singapore River

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will review the rates for the five Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries around the Singapore River in October – a month ahead of its usual quarterly review.

The move came in response to recent feedback that businesses in nearby Chinatown have seen a slump in sales since the ERP charges were introduced in July.

The LTA met with the Chinatown Business Association on Monday as part of its ongoing engagement with stakeholders affected by ERP implementation. The authority said it will adjust the ERP rates from early October if traffic conditions warrant it.

Senior Minister of State for Transport, Mrs Lim Hwee Hwa, said that the new gantries are meant to ensure that businesses benefit from smooth-flowing traffic in the long term.

She cautioned that reducing ERP charges will not be able to address any underlying weaknesses in consumer demand or economic conditions.

Mrs Lim said: "What we hope to do is to make sure that the ERP rates are pegged at the appropriate level that will ensure that patrons and users of the area will not be prevented from coming in simply because of congestion.

"There are also some issues with regard to public education. A lot of people, including the operators themselves, thought that the ERP hours are operational on Saturdays as well, which is not the case.

"That is something which LTA can look into to see how it can publicise this more widely so as to help the businesses in the area."  - CNA/so

 

Not all 6 new ERP gantries need to be switched on in November

SINGAPORE : Not all of the six new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries need to be switched on in November. Transport Minister Raymond Lim offered this little nugget of hope to motorists at a talk to the Press Club on Friday.

ERP was an obvious hot topic at the talk, especially as it comes after rates went up at about half of all gantries in the central business and shopping areas, while five new gantries along the Singapore River were added in July.

Explaining the rationale, the minister said such road pricing was a measure of last resort.

He said: "We recognise that such system-wide changes will have a significant impact on people's lives. So let's roll it out in phases, and as we roll it out in phases, we hope we might end up doing much less than we have to."

He added that since the July changes, speeds have picked up on many of these roads.

Thus, not all six new gantries that the Land Transport Authority had previously announced would be switched on in November, may have to become operational.

These are the ones along Serangoon Road, Commonwealth Avenue, Jalan Bukit Merah, Alexandra Road, AYE-westbound near Alexandra Road and PIE-westbound near Eunos.

There was also a nugget of good news for public transport commuters - bus passengers may get higher transfer rebates. Details are expected to be announced next week.

This means the majority of bus passengers who make one or more transfers stand to benefit.

During question time, Mr Lim was asked if fares for children could be waived, in light of Singapore's family-friendly thrust.

The answer was that it boiled down to a question of government intervention and cross-subsidies - a path it is not likely to take.

Click here to read the full text of Transport Minister Raymond Lim's speech.  - CNA/ms