SINGAPORE – As the vehicle nears the ramp leading from Bedok North Road to the westbound Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on a weekday morning, the display for the on-board unit (OBU) flashes “ERP Ahead”.
The alert signals that an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charging point lies ahead, with the $1 fee shown in advance on the app.
A few minutes later, along the expressway before the Eunos Link exit, the OBU beeps and the display shows that $1 has been deducted.
Such ERP alerts on the OBU are among the new features that motorists can expect from Jan 1, 2027, when Singapore switches from a gantry-based system to the ERP 2 system, which uses satellite to determine a vehicle’s location for toll charging. The gantry system, in use since 1998, has reached its end of life and is due for a technology refresh.
The “ERP Ahead” notification will appear at the last possible exit before motorists reach a charging location. This will give them ample time to take an alternative route if they want to avoid paying the fee.
The feature is currently undergoing a user experience trial, with charging taking place near existing gantry locations where the satellite signal is the strongest.
The distance between the alert zone and the charging point depends on road design and location, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in response to queries from The Straits Times. The “ERP Ahead” alert will generally appear around 200m before the charge location on expressways and about 60m on arterial roads.
The “ERP Ahead” notification will appear at the last possible exit before motorists reach a charging location. This will give them ample time to take an alternative route if they want to avoid paying the fee.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
With the switchover to the satellite-based ERP system, gantries will be progressively removed. Information such as operating hours and prevailing rates, currently shown on the gantries, will appear on the touchscreen display of the OBU or on compatible ERP 2 smartphone apps.
ST is among 1,000 motorists participating in the trial from June to November to experience the new features. While most of the participants are passenger car owners and motorcyclists, the group also includes some taxi and commercial vehicle drivers.
Besides the ERP alert, another new feature is the roadside electronic parking payment.
From August, pilot users will try out the feature at 644 designated carpark locations, with about 19,000 parking spaces. This represents the majority of roadside parking spaces managed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
When the system detects that a vehicle is parked at a roadside parking space, the user will start the parking session via the OBU touchscreen. The session automatically ends when the vehicle exits the space, with the parking charge calculated and deducted.
If multiple carparks or parking zones are detected nearby, the motorist has to choose the correct location from the list.
LTA said more carparks will be progressively added to the trial. It added that motorists without the OBU touchscreen can continue to pay through the Parking.SG app, which will remain in service after the roadside electronic parking feature is fully rolled out.
Participants in the trial can also experience automatic toll payment through the OBU when crossing the border at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints from mid-June.
Also under evaluation are signage and road marking options to serve as visual cues for ERP toll charging. Five combinations of road signs and markings have been deployed across five locations on expressways and roads.
This is the second phase of the study on visual cues, after the one conducted along Bayshore Drive in March.
LTA is gathering feedback on how well motorists are informed of ERP charging locations ahead without the use of gantries. Feedback can be sent to LTA_Pilot_GNSS@lta.gov.sg by July 31.
Motorists not participating in the user experience study may also provide their feedback on the trial road signs and markings through the same channel.
In February, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said in Parliament that the ERP 2 system allows the authorities to introduce new toll charging points without having to install large and expensive physical gantries. This enables the LTA to spread out ERP charges in smaller amounts across several locations, as opposed to at one location.
Ahead of a year-end deadline, more than 96 per cent of the total vehicle population here, or about 960,000 vehicles, have been fitted with an OBU, said LTA.
Lee Nian Tjoe is senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, where he also oversees the Motoring section.
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