As the traffic volume in Singapore has seen some reduction following the stringent measures against COVID-19 pandemic, Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday (31 March) announced that it will reduce the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates at 96% of gantries in the island, starting from 6 April.
Some gantries along expressways and arterial roads will also see zero charge for the ERP rates when a reduction of up to $2 is imposed.
While for vehicles entering the Orchard, Bugis-Marina Centre, and Shenton Way-Chinatown cordons for all days in the week, there will not be any ERP charges.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan had asked the LTA to review the EPR rates two weeks ago after he noticed the number of vehicle on the roads was currently “lighter than even during the December school holidays”, as reported in Straits Times.
In response to current situation of COVID-19, LTA stated that some rates changes are implemented after they suspend their regular review on process and timelines of the EPR rates.
The review of the EPR rates is typically conducted on a quarterly basis, with the next scheduled review to happen in end of April 2020, according to LTA.
However, “this review is not intended to encourage Singaporeans to drive and travel more,” said LTA while advising people to continue to adhere to safe distancing measures and reduce non-essential travel.
“LTA will continue to monitor the situation closely and will consider further ERP adjustments if required. We will return to the usual ERP review process when appropriate,” said LTA.
It was noted that Singapore is the first city in the world to implement the ERP system, where its purpose is to manage road congestion in Singapore. The ERP charges on motorists and commuters depend on the type of vehicle and its time of entering the ERP gantry. As such, the bigger the vehicle it is, the more people need to pay, while charges will be varied every half hour during the peak of congestion.
