All car owners Lan Lan

Extracted from car forum

"Jan 30, 2007

ERP rates set to rise next week

ELECTRONIC road-pricing rates are going up next week.

When the next round of revisions kick in on Monday, it will cost as much as $4 per pass for car owners - the highest since ERP was introduced in 1998.

The new rate is a result of a 50-cent increase for use of the Central Expressway (CTE), East Coast Parkway (ECP) and Pan-Island Expressway (PIE).

For car drivers using the PIE slip road into the CTE between 8.30am and 9am, the 50-cent hike takes the charge up to $4. For drivers of very heavy goods vehicles, this levy is $8.

The new $4 charge is raising eyebrows.

'I foresee 40 per cent of my customers will not take that route,' ventured 51-year-old cabby S.H.Ngiam. 'They will bypass that and cause bottlenecks elsewhere.'

Car drivers passing the CTE gantry north of Braddell Road towards the city will pay $2 between 7.30am and 9am - up from $1.50.

Those passing the ECP Fort Road gantry will pay $1.50 between 7.30am and 8am; $2.50 between 8.30am and 9am and $1 between 9am and 9.30am - up from $1, $2 and 50 cents respectively.

And on the PIE slip road into the CTE between 7.30am and 8.30am, drivers will pay $3 - from $2.50 now.

Charges at all other gantries will remain unchanged.

Transport researcher Paul Barter described the $4 rate as 'kind of alarming', but noted that ERP rates changed according to traffic patterns.

The assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy predicted that the next generation of ERP might 'spread the charges around' to more roads to avoid sharp pricing at isolated gantries.

The Land Transport Authority reviews ERP rates quarterly to 'achieve optimal traffic flow'. 'Optimal' is defined as speeds of 45kmh to 65kmh for expressways, and 20kmh to 30kmh for main roads."

Expressways 45-65kmh???! Siao boh? Ppl drive at 90kmh also kenna horned. And 20kmh....i tink Chris can run faster than the car liao lidat wtf.