Am rather surprised that LTA now needs external parties to design/ test such an idea. This GPS-based idea was mooted ages ago. We also know about the gripes with regards to privacy, urban built-up signal issues.
Why not just use the traffic junctions/ cameras / mobile phone-cell phone operators network if a law can be passed to silence the objection to privacy !
But at the end of the day, as many have expressed, will it resolve the congestion we now see day & night ? I doubt, if no effort is made to reduce the number of vechiles or widen the roads, etc.
Well written article with concise conclusion ..... "The solution cannot be more ERP alone, but better control over the car population and infrastructural improvements such as road widening."
I wonder if the ERP technology might be outdated and could not be maintained or replaced; or say even cost-effective for expansion round the island.
Technology is just like when your PC chipsets are all switching to say "Intel® Core™ i3 or i5 Processor" but you still looking for replacement using old Celeron chips ... and they are just not in the market anymore.
The LTA therefore would want to look for a feasible modern technology which facilitates their "money collection" mode just like the old ERP system while shifting the new installation costs totally to motorists again .
One commentator had mentioned why the need to implement such high-tech installation if the Govt can simply increased petrol tax for cars ... which seems logical for implementation but difficult to collect money or takes more time ... as the ST writer seems right to argue that the old gantry technology seems more effective psychologically to discourage car usage.
Again and again, i am dismayed at the money oriented solutions proposed by the goverhment to solve problems.
The basic concept of ERP system works to reduce traffic flow in a designated area, only if the alternate longer route is uncongested, or if the cost of using the alternate longer route is considerably cheaper than the original planned route through the designated area.There comes a point in time when ERP method will no longer work, when the alternate routes do not satisfy the conditons as aforesaid.
A satellite based system which promises to have widespread coverage, defeats the purpose of the system, since there is only this much of road space in singapore and today we are already seeing the unfavourable factors of alternate routs as mentioned above. Besides as pointed out by the article, the absence of a visible barrier also reduces the motorists' perception of wanting to take the alternate route.
If the satellite based system is implemented, the long term result will be that congestion will still occur, with an added difference. Today the congestion costs to the consumer is $1, tomorrow the same congestion (maybe worse) costs $2. I
I think if the goverhment has no solution, it is better to leave it as such and not pretend to be so helpful.. (to collect these money for themselvs)..
Singaporeans could live with paying $1 for congestion but not $2 for the same congestion.... Really we are already quite happy with the current erp gantries, thank you thank you, Mr PAP.
And, this new expensive satellite based erp should be scrapped, and the person who devised it should get a demotion forthwith as it is an unfair and inefficeint usage of public funding for a project which is extremely unlikely to resolve the real problem.
When short of money, look for Car-owners. If one can buy car, one must be reach enough to pay for govt expenses.
No wonder our car is the most expensive in the world.
Such action does not need a salary of millions a year.
Satelite based ERP? German has implemented so what is the big deal? When pay the cabinet a salary that is at least 250 times more than a normal Singaporean worker and provide ideas that is nothing new. Why this copy and paste methodology is not apply to Ministers' salary?
They do what they want, They say what they wish, They implement swiftly and deaf to all comments from the common people.....
What to do? I think in order win the next election, they should let foreigners vote. For me, I have only one word for them. That is "crap"
First of all, I believe 99.9% of the people minus those white ostriches will agree that this satelitte based ERP will be very, verier, veriest expensive to built.
Secondly, I believe 99.9% of the people minus those white pigs will agree that the cost of implementing this satelitte based ERP will be milked from Singaporeans through various taxes.
Thirdly, I believe 100% of Singaporeans (yes including those Pimps And Prostitutes) know that it is already a foregone conclusion that this satelitte based ERP system will be implemented.
The current ERP system is stable and reliable operationally (even though I disagree with the ERP system). My question is why do we need to throw money on a much more expensive system to replace a reliable system to do the same thing - to collect toll fee?
My fellow Singaporeans especially those 66.6% PAP supporters, you have to understand that you will keep getting the same result if you keep doing things the same way over and over again. If you continue to complain and complain and still vote these deaf frogs hoping that they will change their ways for the better, betterer and betterest of Singaporeans then please the least you can do is to stop complaining.
If you really want change then the first and only step that you need to do is to vote differently come election time.
We hate this pay and pay mentality of this Govt., why the Ministers' pay are not subject to such attention, when they screw themselves up in their work. Where is the meritocracy practised here in Singapore.
"meritocracy" is what they say and repeatedly reported in the local msm to brainwash Singaporeans over the years.
During my conversations with my friends and families, I often notice that unconsciously their will just repeat all those things that are reported in the local msm such as pap is the best, without pap foreing investment will not come to singapore, what we have today is the result of pap, etcs. ?When I ask them why do they think so? They can't answer you.
Let us be very clear about one thing: without Singaporeans, Singapore will not be what it is today with or without pap.
pap has taken singaporeans for granted in recent years. It is time for Singaporeans to wake-up and do the right but unpopular thing - vote out the pap for your children's sake.
I would say do away with the ERP's altogether and concentrate their effort and money on improving the infrastructures. Let people decide which way they want to take without being constrained by the ERP's. The money spent on ERP's and GPS can be saved for making better roads etc. People avoiding ERP's usually ended taking longer roads and spending more time on the road and thus caused more congestion in areas adjacent to ERP's. The garment always say ERP improve the situation but they don't care about the serious ill effects created by them to the surrounding areas.
Am rather surprised that LTA now needs external parties to design/ test such an idea.
ReplyDeleteThis GPS-based idea was mooted ages ago.
We also know about the gripes with regards to privacy, urban built-up signal issues.
Why not just use the traffic junctions/ cameras / mobile phone-cell phone operators network if a law can be passed to silence the objection to privacy !
But at the end of the day, as many have expressed, will it resolve the congestion we now see day & night ? I doubt, if no effort is made to reduce the number of vechiles or widen the roads, etc.
Well written article with concise conclusion ..... "The solution cannot be more ERP alone, but better control over the car population and infrastructural improvements such as road widening."
ReplyDeleteCashew Nut
it all about milking you more and more...
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the ERP technology might be outdated and could not be maintained or replaced; or say even cost-effective for expansion round the island.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is just like when your PC chipsets are all switching to say "Intel® Core™ i3 or i5 Processor" but you still looking for replacement using old Celeron chips ... and they are just not in the market anymore.
The LTA therefore would want to look for a feasible modern technology which facilitates their "money collection" mode just like the old ERP system while shifting the new installation costs totally to motorists again .
One commentator had mentioned why the need to implement such high-tech installation if the Govt can simply increased petrol tax for cars ... which seems logical for implementation but difficult to collect money or takes more time ... as the ST writer seems right to argue that the old gantry technology seems more effective psychologically to discourage car usage.
REX comments as follows,
ReplyDeleteAgain and again, i am dismayed at the money oriented solutions proposed by the goverhment to solve problems.
The basic concept of ERP system works to reduce traffic flow in a designated area, only if the alternate longer route is uncongested, or if the cost of using the alternate longer route is considerably cheaper than the original planned route through the designated area.There comes a point in time when ERP method will no longer work, when the alternate routes do not satisfy the conditons as aforesaid.
A satellite based system which promises to have widespread coverage, defeats the purpose of the system, since there is only this much of road space in singapore and today we are already seeing the unfavourable factors of alternate routs as mentioned above. Besides as pointed out by the article, the absence of a visible barrier also reduces the motorists' perception of wanting to take the alternate route.
If the satellite based system is implemented, the long term result will be that congestion will still occur, with an added difference. Today the congestion costs to the consumer is $1, tomorrow the same congestion (maybe worse) costs $2. I
I think if the goverhment has no solution, it is better to leave it as such and not pretend to be so helpful.. (to collect these money for themselvs)..
Singaporeans could live with paying $1 for congestion but not $2 for the same congestion.... Really we are already quite happy with the current erp gantries, thank you thank you, Mr PAP.
And, this new expensive satellite based erp should be scrapped, and the person who devised it should get a demotion forthwith as it is an unfair and inefficeint usage of public funding for a project which is extremely unlikely to resolve the real problem.
rex
All car owners pay and pay the more you drive........that should be the real message..."AKAN DATANG"
ReplyDeleteWhen short of money, look for Car-owners. If one can buy car, one must be reach enough to pay for govt expenses.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder our car is the most expensive in the world.
Such action does not need a salary of millions a year.
Satelite based ERP? German has implemented so what is the big deal? When pay the cabinet a salary that is at least 250 times more than a normal Singaporean worker and provide ideas that is nothing new. Why this copy and paste methodology is not apply to Ministers' salary?
They do what they want,
They say what they wish,
They implement swiftly
and deaf to all comments from the common people.....
What to do? I think in order win the next election, they should let foreigners vote. For me, I have only one word for them. That is "crap"
First of all, I believe 99.9% of the people minus those white ostriches will agree that this satelitte based ERP will be very, verier, veriest expensive to built.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I believe 99.9% of the people minus those white pigs will agree that the cost of implementing this satelitte based ERP will be milked from Singaporeans through various taxes.
Thirdly, I believe 100% of Singaporeans (yes including those Pimps And Prostitutes) know that it is already a foregone conclusion that this satelitte based ERP system will be implemented.
The current ERP system is stable and reliable operationally (even though I disagree with the ERP system). My question is why do we need to throw money on a much more expensive system to replace a reliable system to do the same thing - to collect toll fee?
My fellow Singaporeans especially those 66.6% PAP supporters, you have to understand that you will keep getting the same result if you keep doing things the same way over and over again. If you continue to complain and complain and still vote these deaf frogs hoping that they will change their ways for the better, betterer and betterest of Singaporeans then please the least you can do is to stop complaining.
If you really want change then the first and only step that you need to do is to vote differently come election time.
We hate this pay and pay mentality of this Govt., why the Ministers' pay are not subject to such attention, when they screw themselves up in their work. Where is the meritocracy practised here in Singapore.
ReplyDelete"meritocracy" is what they say and repeatedly reported in the local msm to brainwash Singaporeans over the years.
ReplyDeleteDuring my conversations with my friends and families, I often notice that unconsciously their will just repeat all those things that are reported in the local msm such as pap is the best, without pap foreing investment will not come to singapore, what we have today is the result of pap, etcs. ?When I ask them why do they think so? They can't answer you.
Let us be very clear about one thing: without Singaporeans, Singapore will not be what it is today with or without pap.
pap has taken singaporeans for granted in recent years. It is time for Singaporeans to wake-up and do the right but unpopular thing - vote out the pap for your children's sake.
I would say do away with the ERP's altogether and concentrate their effort and money on improving the infrastructures. Let people decide which way they want to take without being constrained by the ERP's. The money spent on ERP's and GPS can be saved for making better roads etc. People avoiding ERP's usually ended taking longer roads and spending more time on the road and thus caused more congestion in areas adjacent to ERP's. The garment always say ERP improve the situation but they don't care about the serious ill effects created by them to the surrounding areas.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon 3:51 PM
ReplyDeleteThat is why they have problem to expand old type ERP at the surrounding areas ... but now think about using GPS system.