Punitive ERP may be way to avert gridlock: MM Lee

From AsiaOne, Feb 1 2008

THE possibility of punitive electronic road pricing (ERP) charges in future to avert peak-hour gridlock was highlighted by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Friday.

He said that was why the Government is investing billions of dollars on new MRT lines and expressways to make sure Singaporeans have alternative travel options.

More ERP gantries, higher ERP rates, but motorists to get road tax cuts

From Channel NewsAsia, Jan 30 2008

SINGAPORE : More ERP gantries, higher ERP rates, and halving the annual vehicle growth rate to 1.5% – these are some of the main announcements by Transport Minister Raymond Lim in the final instalment of changes under the land transport review.

But the bitter pill of more ERP was accompanied by some sweeteners, such as a permanent 15% cut in road tax for all vehicles and a multi-billion dollar improvement programme for expressways.

ERP rates, more gantries to go up – but road tax cut by 15%

From AsiaOne, Jan 30 2008

Christopher Tan

AFTER announcing sweeping changes to improve the bus and train services markedly, Transport Minister Raymond Lim on Wednesday spooned out the bitter medicine in the final part of the Land Transport Review: a substantially expanded electronic road-pricing (ERP) coverage to keep Singapore’s roads moving smoothly.

There is good news too – vehicle taxes will be cut, more expressways will be built and the Central Expressway widened to ease the perennial traffic woes among the northern corridor.

Prime Taxis to raise fares from March

From The Straits Times, Jan 30, 2008

90% of its cabbies vote for higher fares after sticking to old rates for a month

By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent

AFTER holding out for over a month, Singapore’s smallest cab operator, Prime Taxis, will raise its fares to come in line with other companies here.

At a meeting yesterday, over 90 per cent of Prime’s 120 cabbies voted in favour of raising fares, said general manager Tan Choon Chye.

From March 1, the flagdown rate for the company’s 100-plus copper-coloured cabs will rise by 30 cents to $2.80.

Thereafter, the fare will jump by 20 cents every 385m – up to 10km – from 10 cents every 210m previously.

Resale HDB flat prices up 30% above valuation in Q4

From The Straits Times, Jan 25, 2008

By Tan Hui Yee

BUYERS of resale Housing Board flats found themselves paying $22,000 above the valuation from October to December – a whopping 30 per cent increase more than the previous quarter.

HDB data released on Friday showed that 86 per cent of resale transactions required cash over valuation, while another 900 flats were sold at or below valuation.

The median COV hit $33,500 for executive flats, $26,000 for five-room units, and $22,000 for four-roomers.

Major overhaul to improve bus travel

Straits Times, Jan 18, 2008

Major overhaul to improve bus travel

The radical changes promise to get commuters to their destination faster BUS travel in Singapore is set to undergo some radical changes to get commuters to their destination faster, with fewer transfers and in some cases, at lower fares.

The overhaul will take place over the next few years in two stages.

First, the Government will take back control of the planning of routes from the two main public transport companies. Then, the bus market will be opened up to more competition.

Car population up 9% despite slowdown in car sales

AsiaOne, Jan 16, 2008

By Christopher Tan

IT IS a case of two minuses resulting in a plus.

Last year, new car sales shrank by 8.8 per cent to 106,710 units.

At the same time, the number of cars taken off the road – either scrapped or exported – shrank by 22.5 per cent to 64,145 units.

As a result, Singapore’s car population grew by 9 per cent to 514,685 units last year – overtaking 2006’s record rise of 7.4 per cent.

The unusual expansion was three times the allowable 3 per cent growth cap put in place by the Government.

5 new ERP gantries built outside city area

Straits Times, Jan 12, 2008

5 new ERP gantries built outside city area

Mostly in residential areas, they will be activated only when traffic flow worsens By

Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent

MOTORISTS can expect to pay more to use the roads over the next few months when five new ERP gantries – mostly in the heart of residential areas – are up and running.

The gantries are in Upper Bukit Timah Road (outside Hume Park), Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Kallang Bahru Road and Geylang Bahru Road.

Motorists to face five new ERP gantries

Jan 08, 2008, Straits Times

Motorists to face five new ERP gantries

They are mainly in the heart of residential areas.

By Christopher Tan

MOTORISTS can expect to pay more over the next few months to use the roads when five new ERP gantries are up, many in the heart of residential areas.

The gantries are in Upper Bukit Timah Road (outside Hume Park), Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Kallang Bahru Road and Geylang Bahru Road.

All except the ones in Toa Payoh Lorong 6 and Geylang Bahru Road have been completed.

Second Link tolls to go up from Feb 1

Second Link tolls to go up from Feb 1
By Satish Cheney, Channel News | Posted: 02 January 2008 1922 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1       Woodlands Checkpoint

SINGAPORE: The tolls for all motorists at Tuas Second Link will be raised by between 10 cents and S$4.40 from 1 February.

Motorcyclists will need to pay 10 cents more than the current toll of 60 cents.

Cars will be tolled S$4.60, while vans and small lorries will be charged S$10.50.

The largest jump is for big lorries, which will have to pay S$21 – S$4.40 more than the current S$16.60.

Taxis will be charged S$3.50 and bus drivers will have to fork out S$5.60.