From next year, motorists can access the East Coast Parkway via Nicoll Highway without having to pay Electronic Road Pricing (ERP).
Minister of State for Transport and Finance Mrs Josephine Teo told the House that the Nicoll Highway ERP gantry will be moved so motorists can have more options in choosing travel routes.
She said the ERP scheme will be fine-tuned where necessary.
But several MPs pushed for more. They called for ERP to be removed from Singapore's prime shopping belt on weekends.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan, MP for Mountbatten, who shared similar sentiments asked: "If the approach of LTA is to allow some degree of traffic congestion during non-critical hours, surely we can consider allowing some degree of traffic congestion on non-working days like Saturday?"
Mr Seah Kian Peng, MP for Marina Parade GRC, suggested: "Perhaps conduct a survey of retailers in that belt and ask them, would freeing ERP on weekends be a move that they support? If they do, then it's (a) win-win for every sector."
Mrs Teo said: "The decision to implement Saturday ERP for these areas was not taken lightly.
"Average speeds had deteriorated to below 20 kilometers per hour before the ERP was introduced. And it has since improved and kept to speeds within the optimal range between 20 to 30 kilometers per hour.
"Well, even on Saturdays there are economic activities like the retail trade in the Bugis-Marina Centre and Orchard areas. So taking these factors into consideration, the ERP remains being implemented."
Minister of State for Transport and Finance Mrs Josephine Teo told the House that the Nicoll Highway ERP gantry will be moved so motorists can have more options in choosing travel routes.
She said the ERP scheme will be fine-tuned where necessary.
But several MPs pushed for more. They called for ERP to be removed from Singapore's prime shopping belt on weekends.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan, MP for Mountbatten, who shared similar sentiments asked: "If the approach of LTA is to allow some degree of traffic congestion during non-critical hours, surely we can consider allowing some degree of traffic congestion on non-working days like Saturday?"
Mr Seah Kian Peng, MP for Marina Parade GRC, suggested: "Perhaps conduct a survey of retailers in that belt and ask them, would freeing ERP on weekends be a move that they support? If they do, then it's (a) win-win for every sector."
Mrs Teo said: "The decision to implement Saturday ERP for these areas was not taken lightly.
"Average speeds had deteriorated to below 20 kilometers per hour before the ERP was introduced. And it has since improved and kept to speeds within the optimal range between 20 to 30 kilometers per hour.
"Well, even on Saturdays there are economic activities like the retail trade in the Bugis-Marina Centre and Orchard areas. So taking these factors into consideration, the ERP remains being implemented."
