ERP Remains Controversial But It Has Been Effective In Singapore New Delhi: In Singapore, when you drive down from Woodlands to Raffles Place via Yishun during peak hours, a beep on the lower right hand side of your windscreen will tell you that the ride cost you 15 Singapore dollars. During lunch time, the charge would be only 2 Singapore dollars. Now, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) is planning to introduce real-time variable pricing by using historical traffic data and real-time feeds with flow conditions that will help predict the extent of congestion up to an hour in advance. Singapore introduced a road congestion tax way back in 1975 and implemented it first through the Area Licensing System which levied a flat charge on all vehicles entering the central business district. In 1998, this was replaced by the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system which leverages technology to allow for a more effective and flexible method of congestion charging. The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology used also allows automatic deduction of the charge on any vehicle passing a road pricing gantry. The LTA reported that road traffic has decreased by nearly 25,000 vehicles during peak hours, with average road speeds increasing by about 20 per cent. Within the restricted zone, traffic has gone down by about 13 per cent during ERP operational hours, with vehicle numbers dropping from 2,70,000 to 2,35,000. Car pooling has increased while the hours of peak vehicular traffic have also gradually eased, suggesting a more productive use of road space. Average road speeds for expressways and major roads have remained the same, despite rising traffic volumes. The process of levying the tax is automatic. A device known as an in-vehicle unit (IU) is fixed on the lower right corner of the front windscreen within sight of the driver. A stored-value cash card is inserted into it for payment. The tax gets deducted depending on location and time. It is mandatory for all Singapore-registered vehicles to be fitted with an IU if they wish to use the priced roads. In Delhi, which has 72 lakh registered vehicles, a congestion tax has been a matter of debate. The MCD had proposed the tax while announcing the budget in December last year. It was almost immediately shot down by the BJP as the party was worried about elections. The Singapore LTA is, meanwhile, considering a global navigation satellite system for a second generation ERP. The government has also invested heavily in public transportation and implemented a park-andride scheme, with 13 fringe car parks, providing car users a real alternative to switch travel modes. As a result, despite having one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia, only 32 per cent of Singaporean households owned cars in 2010. It is important for Delhi to first establish a robust and dependable public transport system as a viable alternative for those switching from private vehicles to public modes of transport before it can consider something like a congestion tax. Director of Unified Traffic & Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) Ashok Bhattacharjee says: “Positive measures like a good public transport system are needed to provide support to commuters. Higher parking charges besides a well-connected public transport system, which is readily accessible, efficient and reliable, with good frequency, is urgently required.” The ERP system has attracted the attention of transport planners and managers in other metropolitan areas, particularly in Europe and US. London introduced a congestion charge in February 2003 after its officials visited Singapore. In Stockholm, a congestion tax is levied on most vehicles entering and exiting the central part of the city. In 2007, Dubai implemented a corridor congestion pricing scheme which works on a similar principle. These steps remain controversial and other cities have failed to implement them for many reasons. For example, Hong Kong first conducted a pilot test for ERP bewtween 1983 and 1985 with positive results. However, public opposition against the move stalled its implementation. A key aspect of demand management in Singapore is curbing vehicle ownership, either through imposition of high ownership costs or restriction on the actual growth of car population. These measures, that were introduced in the 1970s, have included high annual road tax, custom duties and vehicle registration fees. The supply of motor vehicles too has been regulated since 1990 through a vehicle quota system under which ownership requires a certificate of entitlement (valid for 10 years). The system is based on categories of vehicles differentiated by engine size. Further, use-related charges such as fuel taxes (which are 50 per cent of the final sale price) and high parking rates are resorted to by the authorities to check travel via private transport.