Placement of ERP 2.0 card reader for OBU leaves users struggling
A new technology is leaving many motorists flummoxed due to its placement in cars. As part of the Electronic Road Pricing 2.0 (ERP 2.0) upgrade, the new card reader for the On-Board Unit (OBU) is located under the dashboard near the front passenger seat.
Significantly further than its previous spot on the dashboard in front of the driver, the new location is leaving users struggling to insert and remove cards.
One video on TikTok aptly summed up the experience.
@ignitionlabs OBU Struggles In Real Time #fyp #singapore #obu #iu #erp #payment #parking #cashcard#fypsingapore #fypsingapore🇸🇬
The clip even made its way to the ROADS.sg Facebook page, where it went viral with nearly 2,000 shares in less than a day.
OBU card reader placement confuses motorist
The TikTok video posted by Ignition Labs on Saturday (27 April) showed the main problem that motorists face.
The slot for the card reader faces the passenger seat, meaning drivers would need to insert their cards at an awkward angle from the driver’s seat.
Source: @ignitionlabs on TikTok
Demonstrating just how challenging the manoeuvre is, a driver in the video was only able to insert his card after two attempts.
On both tries, he had to reach all the way to the space in front of the passenger seat and use his left hand to insert the CashCard.
”Who’s the champion who came up with this idea?” he asked.
In another video posted on 26 April, he described the placement as “annoying”.
Motorists joke that OBU placement is for sit & reach
Replies to the video were mostly that of confusion and bemusement.
One said the OBU was meant to help people with their ‘Sit and Reach’ — a test that used to be in the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) before it was revised.
Source: TikTok
Another person described a scenario at the checkpoint where they had to get out of their car, walk over to the passenger’s side, and take the CashCard out to pay.
Source: TikTok
Meanwhile, someone else quipped that a problem had been successfully created.
Source: TikTok
That said, there were those who argued that most motorists, apart from those who use car-sharing services like GetGo, won’t require the use of a CashCard soon enough.
Source: TikTok
What do you think about the OBU design? Let us know in the comments.
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Featured image adapted from @ignitionlabs on TikTok.
