ERP rates at Orchard, YMCA and Fort Canning Tunnel to go up

Extracted from channelnewsasia.com

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is increasing Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates for motorists entering the Orchard Road area. From August 6, cars passing the Orchard, YMCA and Fort Canning Tunnel gantries will be charged an additional $0.50. That makes it $1 per entry. Rates for motorcycles will also double to $0.50. Goods vehicles and small buses will now be charged $1.50. Heavy goods vehicles and big buses will be charged $2.

This must be a big blow to people who drives to work in town. Out of curiosity I searched the LTA website and thought that this might be something which a lot of people wondered about:

Aims of having ERP:

- Charges are levied on a per-pass basis and rates are set based on traffic conditions at the pricing points.

- A motorist is encouraged to decide whether to drive, when to drive and where to drive.
He may choose a different route, mode of transport, time of travel, or not travel at all.

- Those who choose to pay and stay on the road will enjoy a smoother ride.

Benefits:

- Fair

Charges are based on usage so those who contribute more to the congestion pay more. Those who use the roads less frequently or who travel during non-ERP hours will pay less or not need to pay at all.

- Convenient

Motorists need not purchase daily/monthly licences.

- Reliable

As a fully automated system, there is no risk of human error as human enforcement is not required.

As such, was there any improvement on your journey along the CTE, PIE, etc?