ERP Rates Will Decrease By $1 During Jun School Holidays
Since the number of staff allowed at the workplace increased from 29 Mar, traffic has built up at various road stretches, including the expressway.
Thus, what every motorist dreads will come to pass — Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates will go up again.
They’ll go up by S$1 at 8 locations on expressways, in order to manage the traffic buildup.
Speeds below optimal range at 8 locations
In a press release on Friday (20 May), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said they’d been monitoring traffic conditions in Apr and May.
Since the easing of workplace restrictions on 29 Mar – which allowed 75% of staff to return to the office – traffic has built up at various expressway stretches, they noticed.
Hence, they’ve reviewed ERP rates, and identified 19 time periods across eight locations where traffic speeds have “fallen below the optimal speed range”.
These locations have thus been flagged for ERP rate increases.
Expressway ERP increases from 30 May
Seven of the locations will see a S$1 ERP rate increase from 30 May, during 13 time slots.
For the gantry on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) before Alexandra Road towards the city, it will cost S$1 from 9 to 9.30am, instead of nothing currently.
Source: Google Maps
The same goes for the gantry on the AYE after North Buona Vista Road towards Tuas, from 5.30 to 6pm.
The gantry on the Central Expressway (CTE) for southbound traffic before Braddell Road will see a S$1 increase from S$2 to S$3 from 8.30 to 9.30am.
The set of 4 gantries on the southbound CTE after Braddell Road and the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) slip road into the southbound CTE will also have the same increase from 8.30 to 10am.
The gantry on the southbound CTE auxiliary lane to the PIE (Changi) and Serangoon Road will have an increase from S$2 to S$3 from 8.30 to 9.30am, and from S$1 to S$2 from 9.30 to 10am.
On the Kallang Expressway (KPE) going towards the East Coast Parkway (ECP), the gantry after the Defu Flyover will now charge S$1 from 8 to 8.30am, up from nothing currently.
Source: Google Maps
Lastly, the set of 2 gantries on the PIE at Adam Road and Mount Pleasant Road will charge S$1 from 8 to 9am, instead of nothing currently.
Expressway ERP increases from 27 Jun
As the Jun school holidays are approaching, three locations will have their ERP rate increases implemented only after the holidays, over 6 time slots.
From 27 Jun, the gantry on the AYE after North Buona Vista Road towards Tuas will charge S$2 instead of S$1 from 6 to 6.30pm.
The 2 gantries on the CTE in the northbound direction, after the PIE, will charge S$3 (instead of S$2) from 5.30 to 6pm. They will charge a whopping S$4 (instead of S$3) from 6 to 6.30pm.
Finally, the gantry on the KPE towards the ECP after Defu Flyover will charge S$1 from 7.30 to 8pm and 9 to 9.30pm. It will charge S$2 from 8.30 to 9pm.
ERP rates to decrease during school holidays
ERP rates aren’t just going up and up, though.
During the Jun school holidays, ERP rates at 5 locations will actually go down by S$1, across 14 time slots.
This will happen between 30 May and 27 Jun.
For example, the gantry on the AYE after North Buona Vista Road towards Tuas will charge no fee from 6.30 to 7pm, down from S$1.
The LTA will continue to closely monitor traffic speeds and congestion levels, so that they can determine any further reductions to ERP rates.
An expected increase
Now that 100% of workers can return to the office, the increased road congestion is perhaps to be expected.
Even though no one really wants to pay higher ERP fares, it’s possible for some road users to plan their journeys carefully to avoid roads with high traffic.
At least the reversals of the ERP rate reductions over the last few years mean things are finally going back to normal after waves of restrictions.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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