My Proposed solution

balance_else_complacent SG

Hi Friends,

ERP is said to discourage drivers from driving into certain roads .

In my humble opine, several dollars of ERP will not work. To really work , it has to be extra costly. For example, per entry $50 should deter all except the filthy rich.

Drivers pay Road Tax to use the roads.

Singapore roads , not much compared to overseas.

Now, I propose a win-win.

1. Lower road tax to drivers by counting the number of times a car uses the ERP per year using the erp gantry-cashcard system to track driving patterns.

The lesser the driver passes by the gantry, the more Road Tax reduction to be given.

But there is thing to note:

1. This solution will benefit the people but the coffers will get less from ERP and Road Tax.

So, in your humble opinions, do you think this solution will be adopted?

NoobBOY SG

The government won't possibly impose such a policy, they won't do things that hurt their finance lor

dkmagician SG

sounds good , but the administrative cost involve would be huge

SBS7484P SG

EDIT:: delete the 4th post, someone.

seotiblizzard SG

Submit to the ministry.

Medicated Oil SG

I dun think the admin charge would be needed as it is already captured in the computer on the number plate of the car passing through the gantry.

All the people are being tracked.

But, it may give the poodle another idea of collecting additional $$$ for more usage of ERP.

They will implement it as they know that no one can oppose any money grabbing ideas that they imposed.

It is pretty obvious that no one is interested in providing the road users a solution.

If you cannot afford a car, take a taxi.

If you cannot afford a taxi, take a bus or MRT.

If you still cannot afford, you can walk.

You always have a choice.

balance_else_complacent SG

The government won't possibly impose such a policy, they won't do things that hurt their finance lor

But they are honest people what? pure and white as snow ?

balance_else_complacent SG

Road TAX = Tax on drivers road usage.

Less usage of road ====> less tax to pay? no ?

I fail to see the logic.

Can WP or Chiam or better JBJ say something on behalf of the public given this may be of great public interest?

I thought they wanna encourage people use the congested roads less?

Would not lowering the road tax further in addition to the 15% suggested help reduce road usage even more even faster? lowering further as in for each month, the less erp gantrys you pass thru, the more rebate you get for road tax and this is only during peak hours. So, what I mean is that savings to the drivers must be substantial enough.

I think we should all support this idea.

Opposition, do the needful. You existence is basically to represent people's voice.

Gosu. SG

Like LTA mentioned they only want to reduce enough traffic(20%) to allow traffic to travel at a optimum speed(22km/h during peak). And they need to make sure the road is neither overused or under-utilised. Thus the increase in ERP gantry prices. Your scheme might work, but people might be too aggresively trying to save if the incentive is too good and will not be bothered if it is too low. Furthermore the reason for the ERP gantry is mainly to deter drivers whom do not need to use the taxed roads to take an alternative route, which in a sense is similar to your given idea.

balance_else_complacent SG

I know that $20 per entry ERP will reduce traffic.

But some how the hike is incremental. 50cents to a 2 dollar at a time.

This means, people can continue to buy car. wont feel so hurt and can still slowly tahan the cost of living, altho its more and more expensive as time goes by.

If $20 now, no car on road, new car biz suffer, less road tax to collect. less petrol to sell. less diesel to sell. less parking couponing. less fines and of course our dear ERP revenue affected also.

So smart, slow and steady increase.

BangHong SG

It is a nice idea, but it will not work... maybe 30percent of the driver will stop driving... Is this what you want? YES! But whereas it wont work this way.....

ERP can increase, Road tax can increase too, but to a reasonable amt... not like 20... If a driver were need to go CBD area, pay $20? Not possible...

Even using the passing by the ERP amount of time, to calculate more road tax to be paid. Not really practical. Road tax = Tax you as long as you have car, and you use singapore road.

If you were to say, that will be (ERP) Charges to be increase. Whereas if i enter ERP more times, doesnt govt must give me rebate? Kind of "buy more , get OFFER"?

Its a nice idea, but it wont be accepted by the govt for 100% sure.

balance_else_complacent SG

What i meant was,

the hikes of 50cents to 2 dollars, altho much to the poor, would not be substantial to really control the traffic because, it is not substantial to prevent them from using the roads where there is erp. the desired effect would not happen. Workers have no choice but to use the roads at peak hour :

1. companies tell workers they need to turn up for work during peak hour. As self-preservation experts, workers would pay and pay that amount to secure their rice bowl. monthly salary over a few dollars per entry per day. Yes, this expense comes out of their salary but if they don't pay and pay, they lose even bigger - their jobs!

==> the end result : ERP revenue collected. Traffic problem persist. The proof comes from the ever increasing ERP due to the previous rates not effective enough. Else what can we say about the hikes? Why do they do it?

Since the intention is to ease traffic congestion and people can afford these rates, the only ways that ERP will curb traffic congestion during peak hours are either :

1. Cut the number of COE issued.

2. Increase price of car such that only the rich can afford.

3. Ban people from owning cars.

4. Hike ERP to $20 per entry during peak hours.

5. Ban 2nd hand car sales so that people cannot get cheaper cars.

6. Set car park rates to $10 per 30 minutes. No free sunday/holiday parking anywhere.

7. Make living cost super expensive such that only the rich can afford the car.

8. Increase road tax to $10000 per year.

Now, we know that none of the above is practically can be implemented for now.

Thus, the only practical way I can think of now that allows car ownership and minimise congestion is :

1. encourage the poor owning cars to earn road tax rebates. If they use the gantry at peak hours only 1 time or less per week for 1 year, they get 30% off the road tax end of the year. Some questioned how this can be done. Well, the cashcard can hold more info and the gantry can record this info. each month computer lists who uses the roads with gantries least during peak hours and they auto get rebates. automatic.

2. Increase ERP during peak hours to $20 per entry during peak hours and zero during non-peak (unless its congested again).

The above ways will enable:

1. people to continue buy cars. even non rich ones.

2. Road tax keep on collecting.

3. ERP keep on collecting.

4. Congestion keep on reducing and maintained low.

5. car industry salesman happy. they pay more income tax.

I also support the idea of flexi-hours work. Current flexi-hours should apply for all companies and even make it super flexi.

I also support work-from-home at least 1 day per week.

I also support the idea that the rich be taxed strongly to support the poor.

Whatever tarriffs and cost of living increase has no effect on the top earners. Else they are not top earners.

BangHong SG

I dont get you seriously

2. Increase ERP during peak hours to $20 per entry during peak hours and zero during non-peak (unless its congested again).

The above ways will enable:

1. people to continue buy cars. even non rich ones. <=== you sure?

We dont want people to buy car liao..... Buy car dan see so many cars on the road, We going GREEN LEH! Sit public transport la!!!! Or sit TAXI haha... I hope car can be more expensive... Dont like seeing so many people can own a car..

Twice A Day SG

Hmm if you haven't noticed...This whole erp thingey have been designed to reduce congestion but have evolved into a money spinning gadget that can be tweaked to maximise revenues from everyday cars...

Look at the number of needless gantries popping up everywhere..i wouldn't be suprised if the authorities one day "decided" to set up gantries along the western or eastern part of the island.

What originated as a tool to curb traffic congestion have been abused into a money spinning tool. Soon alternative routes to everyone's destination would be "ambushed" by gantries and I predict that it would no longer be of any incentive to find a less congested route to avoid the erp.

So what's the aim here? Make the public scrap their cars and take the public transports? How congested already are our trains and buses....Even if that's the case..it would be the perfect excuse to raise public transport prices.

Over demand of public transport...How convenient?

balance_else_complacent SG

I dont get you seriously

2. Increase ERP during peak hours to $20 per entry during peak hours and zero during non-peak (unless its congested again).

The above ways will enable:

1. people to continue buy cars. even non rich ones. <=== you sure?

sorry, i wasn't being very clear there.

what i meant was, with ERP at $20, people would of course avoid ERP. Thus less congestion. If ERP remain at say $2- 5 a pop, people still will use ERP. So, this works only when companies adopt super flexi hours and at least 1 day work from home for 50% of staff. With flexi hours, the can use ERP roads without paying ERP even if they are priced at $20 for peak hours only.

With above conditions, the non filthy rich can continue to own cars and control their car usage.

Taking public transport? that to me is like saying only the rich should be entitled to drive and own cars, the poor peasais go and pay and pay to public transport operators so that their revenue shiok shiok until orgas. This may make a small society fragmented into the elites vs non-elites where elites are the minority but use the roads as car owns while peasais rely on public transport whose fare is also ever increasing and no end in sight.

To me, the only solution is not bus system. Its MRT system. There should be 100% more train stations and this would make travelling as reliable and efficient as swiss rail system. Never rely on Bus, in my opine. MRT , as championed by our late president Ong, is the preferred and respectable mode of reliable, efficient, public mass transport.

To me, Mr Ong is the Father of Modern Efficient Singapore Mass Transport.