The ERP system is an electronic toll collection scheme, consisting of ERP gantries located at all roads linking into Singapore's central business district - where traffic is heaviest at peak hours. The gantry system is actually a system of sensors on 2 gantries, one in front of the other. Cameras are attached to the gantries to capture the rear license plate numbers of vehicles (in case they speed off without paying!). New gantries are implemented where traffic congestion is severe.
Vehicle owners must purchase an In-vehicle Unit (IU) to be able to use the priced roads. Each IU costs S$150. A NETS CashCard or EZ-Link card (with money, of course) is to be inserted into the slot, and the ERP gantry will deduct money from it through the IU when the vehicle passes underneath the gantry. Charges vary with time and place. (e.g. peak hour at Central Business District)
If a vehicle owner does not have sufficient value in their CashCard or EZ-Link when passing through an ERP, the owner receives a fine, and must pay the ERP charges plus a $10 admin fee within 2 weeks of the notice. If the the owner fails to pay, a penalty of S$70 is issued to the vehicle owner, which rises to S$1000, or one month in jail, if not paid within 30 days.
2) Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the policy
Advantages:
(a) Lesser vehicles travelling via the main roads where ERP gantries are implemented, which means less congestion for those who do use those roads. Vehicle owners would try to avoid using these roads with ERP gantries, as they do not want to pay the fee. Hence, this would lead to them using the other less-used roads.
(b) Less pollution in the areas where ERPs had not been implemented yet in the past. Lesser vehicles, as mentioned in (a), would also mean less air pollution and perhaps noise pollution as well.
(c) Previously less-used roads would be used, so the effort put into building these roads would not be wasted.
(d) The number of people car-pooling has increased, saving fuel and also pollutes the air less.
Disadvantages:
(a) As more drivers continue to avoid using roads with ERPs, the other less-used roads would eventually become congested as well.
(b) If the vehicle owner's IU is faulty, and the owner is unaware, the owner would have to pay the admin fee as well if he/she passes under an ERP gantry. Its quite unfair to these people.
3) What will happen if the policy is not in place?
Main roads would continue to be congested and air pollution would greatly increase in these areas. More space might be needed to widen these roads, so deforestation might occur. As these roads get more and more congested, it would take more time to get back home to be with family.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Road_Pricing
http://app.mot.gov.sg/Land_Transport/Managing_Road_Use/Electronic_Road_Pricing.aspx
http://www.squidoo.com/SingaporeAcronyms
