ERP rates, more gantries to go up - Road tax cut by 15% (like wah,big deal)

[Mockngbrd]

New formula for ERP charge
By Goh Chin Lian

TO GIVE motorists a smoother ride and better manage traffic congestion, the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges will be based on a new formula, which will kick in earlier when traffic speeds fall below the optimal range.

The base rate will also go up to $2, from the current $1, and each subsequent jump will be $1, instead of 50 cents now.
These changes announced by Tran$port Mini$ter Raymond Lim on Wednesday, along with the addition of 16 ERP gantries, are aimed at easing congestion in the city area, as well as on major roads island-wide.

Not only are more vehicles on the roads, but motorists are also earning more these days compared to 10 years ago when Singapore introduced its world-first system of managing traffic by charging for road usage.


Current charges are just not hitting motorists' pockets hard enough to keep enough of them away.
The result: frequent increases to ERP rates to keep traffic flowing - nine in 2006 and 25 last year. The year-long land tran$port review figured enough was enough.

Under the new formula, ERP charges will kick in when, in line with international practice, just over 15 per cent of vehicles cannot go at what traffic engineers consider the best possible speed.

The current threshold speeds, set 10 years ago, are 45 kph on expressways and 20 kph on major roads.
But motorists still find themselves getting caught in slow traffic, and even experiencing 'stop-start' conditions, despite fine weather, and with no accident in sight, said Mr Lim.

The current threshold speeds are closed to the point where traffic flow can deteriorate rapidly to what traffic engineers call the 'unstable zone', leading to 'stop-start' traffic flow.

'This is undesirable and we need to create a buffer to ensure better traffic conditions,' said the mini$ter.
To address this, the Land Tran$port Authority (LTA) will no longer use average travelling speeds to determine ERP rate changes.
Instead, it will use the speed taken at the 85 percentile level, which will assure motorists of smooth travel on ERP-priced roads at least 85 per cent of the time.

The new formula, as well as the higher charges, will be phased in from July in the Central Business District (CBD) and Orchard Road, and then to other roads in due time.

The number of gantries will also go up in phases, from 55 now, to 60 in April, 65 in July and 71 in November.

Mr Lim said from feedback, motorists are willing to pay ERP charges if they can benefit from it.
'The changes will improve the effectiveness of the ERP system, so that each time ERP rates are adjusted, motorists who still choose to drive on these roads would see visible improvement in traffic flows,' said the mini$ter.

On the five new gantries coming up in the CBD to discourage motorists from cutting through the already packed Suntec City, Bugis and Marina Square shopping areas, Mr Lim said speeds on major roads in the city area have fallen by more than 25 per cent.
For example, a motorist crossing the city from Bugis to Chinatown in the evening enjoyed travelling speeds of 25 kph five years ago. Today, the speeds have fallen by almost 30 per cent to 18 kph.

At major cross junctions between North Bridge Road and Bras Basah Road, as well as South Bridge Road and Cross Street, the build-up of traffic has resulted in motorists having to wait for three or more traffic light changes before they are able to cross the junctions.

'We cannot let conditions deteriorate further,' said Mr Lim.





*EA$Y MAH... RAI$E THE $PEED LIMIT LOR!!!*

[totoseow]

its gonna b good for big car owners....who come into work early...

suffer the poor.....AGAIN!

[marklee]

Originally Posted by TheNew7

"He said the use of ERP to manage traffic has made it possible for many Singaporeans to own cars."

It is NOT.... instead of high taxes at the onslaught, they are now going for volume.... and taxing each and every drop!!! Can buy car but can't afford to drive anymore.... back to square one.... but with more for them inbetween.....

(flame suit on) Actually it does help for us to pay less tax at the onslaught and the rest of the tax is sorta spread throughout our ownership of the vehicle. At least for me I rather pay less at the start and spread out my tax, considering time value of money. But the rate at which these ERP gantries are coming up as well as the stupid 50 cent increases each time makes me doubt their intentions.

[Mockngbrd]

no longer 50cent increases, gonna be $1 increases

[Ahbengdriver]

4-letter words have been bad words, now this has changed in SG.

3 letter words are bad words, vulgarity, pisses hiadees off, suck our $$$..

P#P, ERP, COE, LTA, GST, .....except BMW

[delrosa81]

Ah....lucky now Im going to buy a pocket bike together with some of my bros, initially intended to go play at Kallang, I shall now consider riding my pocket bike to work. Some of the water cooled ones can go up to 80km/hr, some mods, etc can bring it up to 100+++ hmmm No Coe, No Erp, No Road Tax, No Insurance kekekekeke Great Idea huh.

[marklee]

Originally Posted by delrosa81

Ah....lucky now Im going to buy a pocket bike together with some of my bros, initially intended to go play at Kallang, I shall now consider riding my pocket bike to work. Some of the water cooled ones can go up to 80km/hr, some mods, etc can bring it up to 100+++ hmmm No Coe, No Erp, No Road Tax, No Insurance kekekekeke Great Idea huh.

Good idea...but a bit extreme lol. Need to have a bike license to ride one of these right?

[marklee]

oh..just checked and it's not legal to ride these on normal roads...but who cares?!

[Oilman]

Lai lai, bring it on! I'll go to work a little earlier and pay nothing.

Jason - I vote for you also. Meantime, the Sinkapore gahment better take a long hard look at addressing inflation soon... this is so getting out of hand.

'We cannot let conditions deteriorate further,' said Mr Lim.
Yeah hell, you can say that again.

[DoggieHowser]

Originally Posted by marklee

For the normal white collar worker, it's getting more and more economical and efficient to use MRT and bus to work. Save on petrol, erp and parking.

Provided the MRT and bus are up to scratch

Wife says that she has to wait for at least 3 trains to go before she can get into the 4th train.. and always kena groped.