Transport analysts have mixed feelings about Wednesday's announcement that there will be more Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries and that ERP rates will go up.
However, they agree that measures to curb traffic congestion must be implemented now.
The Automobile Association does not think it is a good idea to raise ERP rates before the proposed improvements to the public transport system kick in. And it does not agree that more ERP gantries equal less congestion. The Ministry of Transport has said the changes should achieve the goal of having smooth traffic 85 per cent of the time.
Although some feel that the ERP has worked and will likely be effective in reducing congestion, some analysts have their doubts.
National University of Singapore's Associate Professor Chin Hoong Chor said: "If we say that the 85th percentile (speed) drops, then you raise the charge on BKE (Bukit Timah Expressway) so as to bring the 85th percentile speed again, what happens then is that there will be less traffic on the BKE and they will go on to the parallel road which is the Upper Bukit Timah Road.
"And what happens if the (85th percentile) speed on Upper Bukit Timah Road... (drops) below the threshold, you will raise the charge on Upper Bukit Timah Road again. So it seems like you (are) going to keep (increasing) the rate just to adjust to the 85th percentile speed."
When it comes to the other target of encouraging more people to switch to public transport, some observers are not quite optimistic.
But Dr Michael Li from Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School pointed out: "Even (if) one per cent of (the) people change (to public transport), it's still quite an accomplishment.
"Remember, it makes no sense to drive everyone out of the highways. Otherwise, what's the point of building the highways? So, that's not the purpose. So we're looking at only a small marginal change."
There are also suggestions for an Internet portal that can provide real time information to commuters on alternative routes at any given time.
Analysts say the various improvements to the public transport system have to be implemented first before accessing how successful the latest measures are.
Dr Li added that if Singapore's public transport system is as massive as the ones in Tokyo and New York, most people probably will not mind taking public transport. - CNA/ac
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