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SINGAPORE – Singapore will switch to a satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system in the middle of 2023, but plans to charge motorists for the distances they clock will be on hold.
The Land Transport Authority said on Tuesday (Sept 8) that installation of a new onboard unit (OBU) to replace the current in-vehicle unit will start in the latter half of next year. The initial unit will be free of charge.
The authority had previously said installation of the OBU would start by end of this year. Because the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on global supply chains, the exercise will commence in the second half of 2021, and take place over 18 months.
Following that, the new ERP system will switch on in mid-2023. But the LTA said the existing cordon-based congestion pricing framework will remain; and ERP charging locations will also be clearly indicated on “smaller and slimmer gantries”.
In this year’s Budget, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said the technology for distance-based charging “is still several years away”.
The new ERP system will have more features than the current one.
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