[Voodoo Vince]

More ERP gantries, higher ERP rates, but motorists to get road tax cuts
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 30 January 2008 2015 hrs

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

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...325866/1/.html

[Voodoo Vince]

Analysts mixed on more ERP gantries and higher rates
By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 31 January 2008 1717 hrs

SINGAPORE: Transport analysts have mixed feelings about Wednesday's announcement that there will be more Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries and that ERP rates will go up.

However, they agree that measures to curb traffic congestion must be implemented now.

The Automobile Association does not think it is a good idea to raise ERP rates before the proposed improvements to the public transport system kick in. And it does not agree that more ERP gantries equals less congestion.

The Ministry of Transport has said the changes should achieve the goal of having smooth traffic 85 per cent of the time.

Although some feel that the ERP has worked and will likely be effective in reducing congestion, some analysts have their doubts.

National University of Singapore's Associate Professor Chin Hoong Chor said: "If we say that the 85th percentile (speed) drops, then you raise the charge on BKE (Bukit Timah Expressway) so as to bring the 85th percentile speed again, what happens then is that there will be less traffic on the BKE and they will go on to the parallel road which is the Upper Bukit Timah Road.

"And what happens if the (85th percentile) speed on Upper Bukit Timah Road... (drops) below the threshold, you will raise the charge on Upper Bukit Timah Road again. So it seems like you (are) going to keep (increasing) the rate just to adjust to the 85th percentile speed."

When it comes to the other target of encouraging more people to switch to public transport, some observers are not quite optimistic.

But Dr Michael Li from Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School pointed out: "Even (if) one per cent of (the) people change (to public transport), it's still quite an accomplishment.

"Remember, it makes no sense to drive everyone out of the highways. Otherwise, what's the point of building the highways? So, that's not the purpose. So we're looking at only a small marginal change."

There are also suggestions for an Internet portal that can provide real time information to commuters on alternative routes at any given time.

Analysts say the various improvements to the public transport system have to be implemented first before accessing how successful the latest measures are.

Dr Li added that if Singapore's public transport system is as massive as the ones in Tokyo and New York, most people probably will not mind taking public transport. - CNA/ac

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...326066/1/.html

[Voodoo Vince]

Will higher charges change... Everyone's Route Preference?
Not necessarily. But you can beat the ERP by changing your travel priorities
February 02, 2008



Switch to public transport

That's what the Government hopes you'll do.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim said: 'The only way to move large numbers of people efficiently in our densely populated city is by public transport...

'Increasingly, given the more pervasive congestion today, the emphasis must be on encouraging motorists to shift to public transport, rather than drive on alternative roads to their destination.'

So, the Government is spending billions of dollars to improve the bus and train systems - to encourage people to keep using public transport and perhaps persuade car owners to give up their wheels.

Among other things, the Land Transport Authority has promised shorter waiting times, less crowded buses and trains, more comfortable rides and more seamless transfers.

Buses plying routes affected by the impending ERP expansion will come more frequently, and there will be more premium bus services along these routes as well.


Get your boss to let you work flexi-hours

About 10 years ago, companies began staggering their working hours to allow their employees to beat the rush-hour crowd, MrGerard Ee, former president of the Automobile Association of Singapore, pointed out.

In view of the growing city congestion and impending ERP increases, can employers bend the hours further?

Mr Paul Heng, founder of NeXT Career Consulting said it does not make business sense to do so just to accommodate the lifestyle preferences of employees.

Human resources expert Victor Lai said: 'You can't ask the company to compensate for everything - inflation, taxi fares, GST hike, now ERP (increases).'

Mr Kenny Yap, executive chairman of fish breeder Qian Hu, said whether flexi-hours should be allowed depends on the nature of the job.

'If (employers) could, they would have done so already,' he explained.

At most, Mr Heng suggested, employees who need to use cars for their jobs can get higher transport allowances.


Carpooling

Carpooling, common in the 1970s, is making a comeback as more such websites and online forums sprout up.

Each trip costs between $2 and $8 from one end of Singapore to the other, reported The Straits Times last month .

Carpooling is a very feasible alternative, especially in condominium precincts, to paying less ERP, Mr Ee said.

'All it takes is to know your neighbours.'

But Mr Lai is sceptical about carpooling taking off further.

'Singaporeans generally don't like to share things, unless you have very nice neighbours who happen to work near you,' he said.

'Even then, if you ask me to sit in someone else's car just to save on a little ERP, I wouldn't.'

But if you're interested, here are a few carpooling websites:

- www.carpoolking.com

- www.carpool.sg

- www.singaporecarsforum.com


Park & Ride

The scheme lets motorists park their vehicles at designated HDB/URA carparks, and then use the train or bus to travel to other parts of the city.

For longer-term use, you can buy a Park & Ride set ($40 ez-link card and a $30 season parking ticket) from TransitLink ticket offices.

For ad-hoc use, you can display a $3 coupon daily to park in any park & ride carpark during the park & ride operating hours (7am-9pm on weekdays, 7am-3pm on Saturdays).

While the scheme has potential for growth, Mr Ee said it needs to entail more cost savings and the locations have to be made more convenient.

Swan Tan, newsroom intern

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...55207,00.html?

[Voodoo Vince]

Avoiding Extra Road Payment (It's harder than you think)

By Desmond Ng
February 02, 2008

IN come the ERP gantries and out comes the street directory. The new gantries are not going to get in my way.


Graphics: SIMON ANG & FUZZ

After all, I'm a true-blue Singaporean. Avoiding payment should be second nature to me.

I should have known better.

I attempted to avoid the Toa Payoh Lorong 6 gantry after coming out of the CTE exit at Braddell Road just after 9am.

I burned so much fuel on the 6.5km circular route that I might as well have paid the 50-cent ERP charge.

I went along Braddell Road, then Thomson Road, up the PIE and then through Kim Keat Link and finally to Toa Payoh Lorong 6.

During the journey, my constant companions were traffic jams and rude drivers.

What should ordinarily have taken five minutes took much longer. I was so frustrated during my journey that I forgot to time it. But, believe me, it was long.

It is pretty much the same story at most of the other gantries when you take the alternative routes.

Some gantries, like the one along Serangoon Road, are near impossible to avoid.

So get those CashCards ready and get used to the beeps.

Or simply join the crowd and take public transport.

Come June, buses will soon be running at 10-minute intervals during peak hours in areas affected by the ERP expansion.

From this month, there will be an extra 93 train trips a week on the North-South, East-West and North-East lines during peak hours.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...55201,00.html?

[Mad Max]

I don't the the tax cut is more to help the motorists.

[djchris]

They just think we are minions and want us to think it is ok since they are giving us tax cuts.

Eventually, we will pay more ERP taxes for every trip than the one-off tax cuts. They will get back the whole chicken after giving you a drumstick...

[Mad Max]

The government will not lose out to the people.

[schixzotic]

Bah, I'd rather they just keep the road tax cuts and NOT put up the gantries, thankyouverymuch.
Sometimes I wonder if they're really putting up the gantries to ease traffic flow or to make $$!!

[Xiaochua7777]

agree with you Schixzotic

[tango907]

agree with Schixzotic also, Tax reduce will only benefit the rich peoples with more cars (more car more saving on tax) , but peoples who need the car for working will have hard time.

[Kennie]

seriously... i havent seen Raymond Lim make a sensible decision before. I thought Transport Ministry's aim is to lower the car population in Singapore? Then what's with the lowering of road tax? Expanding our road/expressway systems? For what? so that they can accommodate more cars? (Read: LOWER CAR POPULATION)

and public transport is neither cheap nor efficient... why would people give up their cars for public transport if it's going to cost them more time and money.

[shypineapple]

what a load of crapp -.-''
with petrol prices rocketing so fast, the least they could do is to keep the ERP,taxes in check =.=

[Beanman]

pay more and more.tell us take public transport and the fares go up.wth