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Electronic road pricing : developments after phase I

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) launched the Electronic Road Pricing, or ERP, system in April 1998 as a new way to manage traffic congestion. Phase I was completed in September 1998 with the activation of ERP for East Coast Parkway (ECP), Central Expressway (CTE), Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) and the city area. Since then, the number of ERP gantries in operation has increased to 66, up from 33 at the end of 1998. Improvements have also been made to the scheme since it was first introduced, including credit card payment of ERP charges and graduated fee pricing.

Expansion of ERP Coverage
Since 1998, three more expressways have been covered under the ERP system - Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE). The ERP network has also been extended to arterial roads outside the city in response to the heavy city-bound traffic on these roads. The first to come under the ERP umbrella were Thomson Road, Bendemeer Road and Kallang Road.

In 2005, ERP was used for the first time to manage the congestion caused by motorists heading back to their suburban homes after work. A new gantry that operated only in the evenings was installed on the north-bound CTE. There are currently four gantries targeted specifically at the evening peak-hour traffic; two are on CTE and the other two on ECP.

Major Enhancements to ERP System
Graduated Fee Pricing
After observing that motorists often speeded up just before the start of a time period with higher ERP rates, or slowed down just before lower rates kicked in, LTA introduced graduated fee pricing in 2003. The objective was to reduce the incentive for such behaviour by moderating the sharp changes in rates between two successive time periods. It did this by implementing five-minute "buffer periods" during which the ERP rate would be midway between the rates of the two successive periods.

85th Percentile Speed Measurement Method
Every quarter, LTA reviews the traffic conditions on roads where the ERP system is in operation. After the review, it will adjust the rates where necessary so as to achieve optimal traffic flow on these roads. It also monitors other roads closely to identify new locations where congestion levels warrant ERP. When LTA first introduced the system, it said that ERP would be activated or the charges at existing gantries would be raised when average speeds fell below the threshold levels of 45kmh for expressways and 20kmh for arterial roads. However, on 7 July 2008, it started adopting a stricter standard using the 85th percentile speed measurement method. This meant that speeds would have to exceed the threshold levels at least 85% of the time, compared to just half the time previously.

Orchard Road Cordon
As the Orchard Road area is primarily a shopping destination, its traffic patterns differ from that of the rest of the city centre. It experiences heavier traffic later in the day, after the retail outlets have opened. To better reflect and manage the traffic conditions of this area, the ERP rates here have been set separately from those for other parts of the central business district (CBD) since October 2005. To make this possible, LTA first demarcated the Orchard Road cordon, then sealed it off by adding new gantries. Unlike for the rest of the CBD, there is currently no ERP for the Orchard Road cordon on weekday mornings.

Improved In-Vehicle Unit (IU)
LTA has introduced a second-generation IU that offers several improvements over the old model. For example, the new IU can accept both contact and contactless stored-value cards, whereas the previous model accepts only contact cards, specifically the NETS CashCards. Another new feature is that it can automatically top up a card that registers insufficient funds when the vehicle passes through an ERP gantry. The improved IU has been rolled out to new motorcycles and will be installed in all other new vehicles starting in 2009. Owners of existing vehicles can purchase the new device or continue to use the earlier model.

Timeline
Sep 1999 : ERP was extended to AYE and arterial roads outside the city.
Feb 2003 : Graduated fee pricing was introduced.
Sep 2003 : New scheme was launched for foreign-registered cars to give added convenience to foreign travellers - instead of installing or renting an IU, motorists can opt to pay a fixed daily ERP fee.
Aug 2005 : Evening ERP was introduced for home-bound traffic leaving the city.
Oct 2005 : Separate ERP cordon for Orchard Road area was implemented.
Oct 2007 : KPE partially opened, with one new ERP gantry activated.
Nov 2007 : ERP kicked in on BKE.
Mar 2008 : Government announced that new signboards, called the Rates Variable Message System, would be installed at the top of gantries to prominently display the prevailing charges for various vehicle types. This would be an improvement over the existing roadside panels, which motorists sometimes found too difficult to read.
Jul 2008 : Singapore River Line was activated, comprising five new gantries along the Singapore River, to reduce evening through-traffic; these were the first to have the Rates Variable Message System. LTA also implemented the 85th percentile speed measurement method.
Aug 2008 : Installation of next-generation IUs on new motorcycles commenced.
Sep 2008 : KPE fully opened, with a total of 16 ERP gantries installed, the largest number of gantries on a single road.
Nov 2008 : New scheme was introduced to allow ERP charges incurred by motorists to be billed to their credit cards, as an alternative to having the charges deducted from the CashCard in the IU.



Author
Valerie Chew



References
Almenoar, M. (2008, March 7). ERP gantries to flash charges by year-end. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Almenoar, M. (2008, May 12). Rates to be displayed at all gantries. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Almenoar, M. (2008, June 18). Higher ERP rates and new gantries from July 7. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Almenoar, M. (2008, September 27). Only 1 of 6 planned ERP gantries to be built. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Almenoar, M. (2008, October 25). Credit cards can be used for ERP. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Almenoar, M., & Yeo, G. L. (2008, September 20). Relief at last, as KPE opens. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Kaur, K. (1999, April 21). ERP to be extended in September. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Kaur, K. (2003, January 29). ERP discount to end gantry waiting game. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Land Transport Authority. (n.d.). ERP rate table for passenger cars, taxis and light goods vehicles (with effect from 3 November 08 to 2 February 09). Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onemotoring/en/on_the_roads/ERP_Rates.MainPar.0025.File.tmp/ERP%20Rates%20for%20Cars.pdf

Land Transport Authority. (2003, August 25). Foreign-registered cars no longer require in-vehicle units under new ERP scheme; motorists can opt to pay fixed ERP charges of S$10 per day [Press release]. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=836

Land Transport Authority. (2007, July 27). Phase 1 Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway to open on 26 October 2007 [Press release]. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1801

Leong, W. K. (2007, October 30). ERP: New gantries, rates next week. Today. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Orchard Rd ERP rates will be different. (2005, September 29). Today. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Tan, C. (2008, July 15). New IU promises smoother ERP rides. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.

Tan C., & Goh, C. L. (2005, May 28). ERP cordon in Orchard Road. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Factiva database.



Further Readings
Do, M. A., & Ong, J. T. (1998). Evaluation of an electronic road pricing system designed for the Singapore multi-lane road environment. In Chin, K. K., Do, M. A., Fan, H. S. L., et al. (Eds.), International Conference on Transportation into the Next Millennium: Proceedings (pp. 201-210). Singapore: Centre for Transportation Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
(Call no.: RSING 388.114 INT)

Land Transport Authority. (n.d.). ERP rates. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onemotoring/en/on_the_roads/ERP_Rates.html

Land Transport Authority. (2008, August 5). Electronic road pricing. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://www.lta.gov.sg/motoring_matters/index_motoring_erp.htm

Menon, A. P. G., & Chin, K. K. (1998). The making of Singapore's electronic road pricing system. In Chin, K. K., Do, M. A., Fan, H. S. L., et al. (Eds.), International Conference on Transportation into the Next Millennium: Proceedings (pp. 179-190). Singapore: Centre for Transportation Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
(Call no.: RSING 388.114 INT)

Yamamoto, M., Hashimoto, H., Hayakawa, K., et al. (1998). Multi-lane electronic road pricing system in Singapore. In Chin, K. K., Do, M. A., Fan, H. S. L., et al. (Eds.), International Conference on Transportation into the Next Millennium: Proceedings (pp. 191-200). Singapore: Centre for Transportation Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
(Call no.: RSING 388.114 INT)



The information in this article is valid as at 2008 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Commerce and Industry>>Transportation
Electronic Road Pricing System--Singapore
Urban transportation policy--Singapore
City traffic--Singapore
Law and government>>Safety administration>>Land transportation

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