SINGAPORE: Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges at three gantries along the Central Expressway (CTE) will go up by S$1 next week to ease congestion during peak periods, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday (Aug 25).
ERP charges were first suspended on Apr 6 on the expectation that traffic would be significantly reduced during the “circuit breaker” period, before being re-introduced at some gantries along the CTE in July.
In a news release on Tuesday, LTA said that charges would now also be re-introduced for the gantry along a southbound CTE auxiliary lane to the Pan-Island Expressway (Changi) and Serangoon Road.
Two other gantries along the northbound CTE will see their charges increased by S$1.
These new rates will kick in on Aug 31:
(Table: LTA)
The rate for the gantry along the southbound CTE before Braddell Road will remain unchanged at S$1 between 8am and 9am.
This is LTA’s third review of ERP rates following the circuit breaker, when workplaces and schools were ordered to shut to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore.
“Based on LTA’s monitoring of traffic conditions from early to mid August 2020, traffic speeds have remained optimal on all arterial roads and most expressways, except for some time periods on the Central Expressway,” said the authority.
“As more people travel to and from their workplaces, traffic volume has continued to build up during weekday peak hours,” it said.
“This has led to localised congestion at specific locations along the CTE during the morning and evening peak periods.”
LTA said it would continue to monitor traffic speeds and congestion levels “closely”.
The next ERP review – conducted once every five weeks – will be announced in the last week of September. Any changes to ERP charges will then take effect from Oct 5.
