WE REFER to the letter, 'Will more Punggol flats worsen CTE jams?' (ST, Oct 4).
We have been using ERP to keep traffic on the CTE flowing within the optimal speed range, via monitoring the traffic condition and regular reviews of the ERP rates.
However, ERP is not our only tool for congestion management. We also use traffic- engineering methods such as harnessing technology to increase throughput and increasing the carrying capacity of our road network by building new roads or widening them. But there is a limit to the last two due to land constraints.
Indeed, the CTE has been widened on several occasions but the smoother traffic flow following that very soon led to an increase in demand.
Some may suggest that we simply rely on reducing the vehicle population to alleviate peak-hour congestion but this will lead to higher COE prices and under-utilisation of road space. It is necessary to strike a balance between limiting vehicle growth and the use of ERP to manage congestion. The merit of ERP is that it puts the decision on whether to drive, or to use a route at a time and place where they would need to pay ERP, or to use public transport, into the hands of motorists.
Implementation of the ERP had represented a shift in traffic-management policy, towards relying more on usage measures. As part of this shift, we have lowered the fixed ownership taxes for cars. The ownership cost of cars has been reduced significantly and a typical car today costs about 50 per cent less than in 1998.
The ERP revenue collected is only about 80 per cent of the previous Area Licensing Scheme, even as the car population has grown and more locations are priced for congestion. This shows ERP is effective in managing congestion at lower cost to motorists.
The Kallang/Paya Lebar Expressway under construction will help relieve some of the congestion on the CTE. In the longer term, a more sustainable approach to cater to the increase in travel demand is to encourage more people to take public transport. Hence, the cornerstone of our policy remains the development of a quality and reliable public-transport system. We now have the North-South Line and North-East Line (NEL) for access to the city, and NEL has ample capacity to cater to the increasing travel demand along the CTE corridor.
Currently, flats in new building contracts are offered for sale to public applicants only under the Build-to-Order Scheme. HDB will proceed with the construction only if there is sufficient take-up to avoid an oversupply situation. Both HDB and LTA share long-term building plans. In fact, the contact is not solely between the two agencies but also with other facilities and service providers to plan, design and develop projects that best meet the needs of residents and road users.
Naleeza Ebrahim (Ms)
Deputy Director
Media Relations
Land Transport Authority
Florence Keh (Ms)
Head, Press & Feedback Unit
Housing & Development Board
