-Cont'd-
New ERP gantry with extended hours on North-bound Central Expressway (CTE)
LTA said the implementation of evening ERP on the north-bound CTE since August 2005 has helped to improve travel speeds on the CTE north of the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) exit. However, the average traffic speeds on the stretch from Bukit Timah to just before the PIE exit have consistently fallen below the optimal speed range due to the high volume of traffic from the city exiting to the PIE.
To manage congestion along this stretch, a new ERP gantry will be erected along the north-bound CTE just before the PIE exit. The charging hours at this gantry will be between 5.30 pm and 10.30 pm on weekdays.
New gantries for evening ERP charging on East-bound East Coast Parkway (ECP)
LTA said the high traffic volume along the east-bound ECP between 6pm and 8pm on weekdays has led to traffic congestion occurring between Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and Fort Road exit of east-bound ECP.
In March 2007, LTA had provided an additional lane in each direction of the ECP between Fort Road and Marina South to help alleviate the congestion. Despite this, traffic speeds continue to remain below the optimal speed range, said LTA.
From November, ERP will be implemented on the east-bound ECP from 6pm to 8pm during weekdays. An ERP gantry will be erected at each of the two accesses into the east-bound ECP from the city and the AYE - before the Rochor Road exit and at the Ophir Road slip road.
New gantry on South-bound Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE)
Average traffic speeds on the BKE have deteriorated below the optimal speed range on weekdays. A new ERP gantry will be erected after the Dairy Farm exit, before the BKE joins the PIE, to help manage the traffic congestion there. The operating hours for this gantry will be from 7.30am to 9am during weekdays.
LTA said installation of other gantries Which Will Not Be Activated Until Speeds Fall Below Optimal Speed Range
There will also be a new gantry on the south-bound Upper Bukit Timah Road: New Gantry, after Hume Avenue. This gantry will only be activated when congestion builds up and traffic conditions warrant the implementation of ERP.
LTA will give prior notice before levying any ERP charge at this gantry.
In the outer cordon, which is beyond the Restricted Zone, new ERP gantries will be installed at Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Kallang Bahru Road and Geylang Bahru Road where traffic speeds may deteriorate below the optimal speed range. LTA said that the ERP charging will be activated only when traffic conditions deteriorate and warrant the implementation of ERP. LTA will continue to monitor the traffic conditions at the remaining six locations.
This leaves 6 other locations remaining in the Outer Cordon where ERP has not been implemented
In May 1999, LTA announced that the ERP system would be progressively expanded beyond the Restricted Zone (RZ) to relieve traffic congestion along roads in the Outer Cordon area under Phase 2 of the ERP plan. The aim is to relieve congestion in the Outer Cordon area by forming a cordon covering the radial roads leading into the city around the RZ.
In September 1999, LTA implemented seven gantries in the Outer Cordon and the Central Expressway under ERP Phase 2A, and announced that the remaining Phase 2 gantries would be implemented as and when traffic conditions warrant it.
In his speech, Minister Raymond Lim said the ERP system has been effective in keeping Singapore roads and expressways smooth-flowing.
"Had it not been for ERP, we would be facing traffic gridlock on numerous roads. Take the case of the ECP. Before ERP was introduced in 1998, the travel speed was as low as 36 kph between 8.30 am to 9 am. Today, the average speed is above 55 kph during that half hour," he said.
"Similarly for Orchard Road, average travel speeds on weekday evenings and on Saturday afternoons have improved from about 17 kph to 23 kph since ERP was implemented in October 2005."
He added that with the ERP, introduced in 1998, the Government has been able to rely more on car usage charges and less on car ownership taxes to manage traffic demand.
Vehicle ownership taxes have been reduced and as a result, annual vehicle ownership revenue fell from $3.4 billion in 1997 to $1.7 billion in 2006 compared to about $90 million in annual ERP revenue collected during that period.
"ERP has thus proven to be a more effective approach to managing traffic demand, and it costs motorists much less overall. Indeed, ERP is meant to be a congestion and not a revenue measure, so if motorists drive less and the roads are smooth-flowing, the Government will be happy to collect less. In effect, ERP rates can be adjusted down, as much as up, depending on the traffic speed on the roads," he said.
Singapore's car population has grown from 680,000 in 1998 to 800,000 in 2006.
The Minister said to accommodate more vehicles on our roads, the ERP system will be expanded from time to time and the coverage will have to be continually adjusted to keep it effective.
"In the longer term, the LTA is looking at how to upgrade ERP technology to put in place a more effective system of congestion-charging. One possibility is to use GPS technology. We are working on this, but it is probably still a few years away as the technology is not quite ready," he added.
"LTA is also studying how we can deal with peak hour congestion more holistically and effectively, taking into account overall traffic conditions, for example in the CBD. LTA is also reviewing the optimal speed ranges on our roads and the response of motorists to the present structure of our congestion charges."
Asia1.com