ERP at MCE & Upper Bukit Timah Road Will Be Removed During Morning Peak Hours From 18 Feb

Lest you’re unaware, Singapore is famous for primarily two things: the Merlion… and complaining. 

And indeed, I must’ve heard thousands of complaints over the years, all stemming from basic notions like:

• Why I have to wait until so old to get my CPF ah?
• Why today so hot ah?
• Why I pass through ERP must pay money one?

Yet, while I can’t exactly help you guys out on the first two, I can assist you on the third.

In a move nobody (probably) saw coming, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be removing the ERP charge at Upper Bukit Timah Road and the Marina Coastal Expressway (during certain periods of the day) from 18 Feb onwards. Which means yes, folks, that exorbitant $1 surcharge you could use to buy a dish at a Cai Png stall?

It’s gonna be all yours from now on.

Permanent removal of ERP charge at Upp Bukit Timah Road

According to TODAYonline, motorists plying Upper Bukit Timah Road and the Marina Coastal Expressway will no longer have to pay any Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) fees during certain periods of the day. The effect will come into place from next Monday (18 Feb) onwards.

The ERP charge at Upper Bukit Timah Road, that currently sits at S$1 from 8 to 8:30 a.m. will be removed. The move comes after the LTA’s latest quarterly review, that was held on Monday. In essence, this means that travelling along Upper Bukit Timah Road will be free.

The entire day.

Anyways, my colleague who use this route daily to get to our office claims that this makes perfect sense: the road isn’t that congested compared to other roads during peak hours.

Meanwhile, rates at two ERP gantries at the Marina Coastal Expressway will also drop to zero from S$1, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. The gantries in question happen to be the ones located westbound before the exit to Maxwell Road and on the slip road to Marina Coastal Drive.

The rates of other gantries, however, remain unchanged. Though it might just remain to be seen, seeing how the next ERP review will take place in May.

I can already sense all the drivers and motorists keeping their fingers crossed. For the sake of your cai pngs, good luck folks!

A Better Nation?

In the introductory paragraph, I mentioned how Singaporeans have a real tendency to complain. But seeing how the nation has been implementing such ‘considerate’ measures, I dare say that Singaporeans will surely be more positive about life and cease such useless squabbles-

You: But they haven’t removed the charges of other ERP gantries!

Yes, but they might…

You: What about GST?

Well that’s…

You: CPF?

Erm…

You: The weather’s so hot!

What the heck do you want the government to do about that? Make it snow using artificial machines?