THE more things change, themore they stay the same.

That saying could well apply toSingapore’s 45-year history ofcontrolling its car population.

Before the vehicle quota sys-tem was introduced in 1990, theGovernment relied on hefty regis-tration and import taxes to keepcar numbers in check.

At their highest, fees and taxesamounted to 220 per cent of acar’s open-market value (OMV),or its approximate cost price.

Buyers of bigger, more expen-sive cars complained they faceddisproportionately high taxes.This has reversed in recent years,with complaints centring on howthe vehicle quota system – whichrequires motorists to secure a cer-tificate of entitlement (COE)through a fortnightly auction toown a vehicle – was starting to fa-vour buyers of higher-end cars.

That is not entirely true, as lux-ury cars still attract higher leviesthan mainstream models. But thegap has shrunk significantly.

For instance, a Mercedes-BenzC180 would have attracted some120 per cent more in tax than aToyota Corolla in the early 1980s,and just 28 per cent more today.

This, along with other changes,has steered more than 35 per centof Category A COEs (for cars upto 1,600cc) towards premiumbrands, from a negligible percent-age just five years ago.

It is partly also why three outof the top five bestsellers this yearare luxury marques, such as Mer-cedes and BMW, which are nowcomparatively less expensive.

In response to the clamour, theGovernment has re-introducedheftier registration taxes for costli-er cars. The tiered Additional Reg-istration Fee (ARF) scheme, an-nounced in February, made cartaxes more progressive.

Sounds familiar?In addition, the Government is

looking to make the vehicle quotasystem more socially equitable.

Possibilities include categoris-ing COEs according to engine pow-er instead of size, placing anotherparameter on top of engine size,and levying a surcharge on buyers

of more than one car.A review is welcome. But in-

stead of making piecemeal chang-es, the Government should takethis opportunity to have a deepand comprehensive examinationof the 23-year-old system.

As Transport Minister LuiTuck Yew suggests, the LandTransport Authority (LTA) shouldengage the public, industry andother stakeholders. This will notonly enrich the recalibration pro-cess, but will also lead to betterpublic buy-in.

Ideally, the LTA should haveembarked on this review earlier.The tiered ARF already makes buy-ers of costlier cars pay more. Insome cases, substantially more.

So a similar move on COEs

may come across as overkill. Oreven anti-wealth.

Whatever changes are consid-ered, parties deliberating shouldnot lose sight of the primary objec-tive of the quota system, which isto manage the vehicle population– something most people agree isnecessary. Having a price mecha-nism to allocate COEs is efficient.

To ensure an efficient systemis also fair, the LTA could ofcourse tweak it here and there.But to have a holistic vehicle taxa-tion regime that is elegant andeasy to understand, and which isnot easily skewed by externalchanges (such as luxury brandsmaking smaller cars), a properoverhaul is probably necessary.

christan@sph.com.sg

AFTER about two years of testsand trials, the Government hasconcluded that a satellite-basedelectronic road pricing (ERP) sys-tem, which can charge accordingto distance travelled, is likely tobe feasible in Singapore.

The system will also be able tofacilitate paperless street-sideparking as well as dynamic charg-es for off-peak car use.

However, Transport MinisterLui Tuck Yew said that “it will beseveral more years” before thenew-generation ERP system canbe implemented.

Speaking during a visit to theupcoming Marina Coastal Express-way yesterday, Mr Lui took painsto reassure motorists that theyare unlikely to haveto pay more with thenew system.

He said the systemwill start off on roadswhich are alreadypriced. And any ex-pansion will be solelycongestion-driven.

“Some motoristsare worried they willbe charged the mo-ment they leavehome or start theirengines,” he said.“Let me assure youthat we have no inten-tion of doing so.”

The minister said the new sys-tem does away with bulky gan-tries, which are costly and taketime to erect. Hence, it will bemore responsive, capable of apply-ing and altering charges fairlyquickly.

The system will come with anew and sophisticated on-boardmonitor, which replaces the cur-rent in-vehicle unit.

Besides ERP, the new devicewill have various other functions,including couponless street park-ing and dynamic charging foroff-peak cars. Currently, it costs

a flat $20 fee each day to use anoff-peak car outside the designat-ed 7pm to 7am period.

The Land Transport Authority(LTA) will work with the industryto develop other value-added ser-vices.

Possibilities include tracking ofstolen vehicles, live traffic infor-mation, and even enforcement ofillegal parking.

Mr Lui also reassured the pub-lic that the privacy of motoristswill be safeguarded. One way, hesaid, would be “anonymising anydata collected”. The telecommuni-cations industry already does this.

The LTA has been studying thefeasibility of a gantryless ERP sys-tem since 1999. Trials in

2006-2007 foundthat the technologywas not preciseenough then.

But rigorous trialsconducted from 2011,which cost about $12million and involvedvarious consortiums,found that the tech-nologies involvedhave maturedenough.

National Universi-ty of Singapore trans-port researcher LeeDer Horng believesthe Government

should try to use the full capabili-ties of the new system.

There was little point in repli-cating the current system, whichcharges motorists for using specif-ic roads which are deemed to becongested, and travelling throughcertain areas, such as the city cen-tre.

Dr Lee said: “ERP is not a tollsystem. If we want to maintainthis principle, we should pursue adistance-based system... so wecan achieve dynamic pricing.”CHRISTOPHER TANAdditional reporting by Royston Sim

MOTORISTS will have to payto use the busy Ayer-RajahExpressway (AYE) nearClementi from the middle ofnext year.

Three Electronic RoadPricing (ERP) gantries will beset up to help improve the flowof eastbound traffic towardsthe city during the morning andevening peak hours. One gantrywill go up on the AYE before

the Clementi Avenue 6 exit,while the other two will bebuilt at the slip roads to AYE atClementi avenues 2 and 6.

These will impose ERPcharges on motorists who enterthe AYE towards the city.

In the opposite directiontowards Tuas, a gantry will goup before the Clementi Roadexit. This will operate in theevening. The operating hours

and rates for these gantries willbe announced later.

Transport Minister Lui TuckYew said this AYE stretch nearClementi has sufferedpersistent congestion duringpeak hours over the past year.

Traffic speeds have fallenbelow the optimal range of45kmh to 65kmh, and gone aslow as 35kmh. The congestionis expected to worsen with new

developments in the area likethose at Jurong Gateway, hesaid. “We have studied it verycarefully and concluded thatERP is needed,” he said.

But there are alternatives formotorists, he added, citingWest Coast Highway and thenew City Direct bus servicefrom Jurong West that willstart in a few months.ROYSTON SIM

By ROYSTON SIM

FINISHING touches are being ap-plied on the Marina Coastal Ex-pressway (MCE), which is ontrack to open by the end of thisyear.

All structural works have beencompleted on the 5km, $4.3 bil-lion highway, including a 420mundersea tunnel.

The bulk of electrical and me-chanical systems has been in-stalled and contractors have be-gun testing and commissioningthose systems, a process that willtake about five months.

This update on Singapore’s10th expressway was given byTransport Minister Lui Tuck Yewafter he visited the MCE controlcentre yesterday. It will be a keylink connecting expressways inthe east and west, he said.

“The MCE will offer commut-ers a direct and high-capacity linkto the new downtown at MarinaBay, and is therefore a critical de-velopment that supports Singa-pore’s growth as a financial hub.”

It will connect East Coast Park-way (ECP) and the Kallang-PayaLebar Expressway (KPE) with theAyer Rajah Expressway (AYE).

With five lanes each way, itcan carry 10,000 vehicles an hour

in each direction and replace theECP as the main route for motor-ists travelling across the variousexpressways. Designed with a topspeed of 80kmh, the MCE willlink to the KPE, which has a maxi-mum speed of 70kmh.

The Land Transport Authority

(LTA) said it is assessing whetherto raise the KPE speed limit tomatch that of the MCE.

After the MCE opens, a portionof the ECP after Benjamin ShearesBridge will be downgraded to anarterial road, with traffic lightsand crossings, that connects to

the Central Business District(CBD).

Currently, the Marina area issplit in half by the ECP. The down-graded portion of the ECP will benamed Sheares Avenue.

The LTA will readjust severalElectronic Road Pricing (ERP) gan-

tries to cover the new road con-nections created by the MCE.

Gantries currently on theto-be-downgraded part of ECP,like the one in Ophir Road, will beremoved and replacements in-stalled on the MCE.

Motorists will continue to pay

the existing ERP charges whenthey use the MCE or ECP to enterthe CBD. For instance, it costs be-tween 50 cents and $5 now to passthrough the gantry on the ECP af-ter Fort Road from 7.30am to9.30am on weekdays.

Mr Lui noted the challengingengineering obstacles posed bythe MCE. “Since much of theMCE is built on reclaimed land, en-gineers had to contend with soilcondition that, I am told, is al-most like peanut butter.”

Some 13.1ha of land was re-claimed for the project and thelargely soft clay ground had to beimproved to stabilise it.

Deep and wide excavationsposed another challenge.

The average excavation widthwas 60m, wide enough for morethan 15 traffic lanes, while tunnelswent as deep as 25m – the equiva-lent of an eight-storey building.

In all, 4.3 million cubic m ofsoil was excavated, about half akilometre of earth stacked on afootball field.

The MCE will have a total ofnine entry and exit points to theECP, Marina Boulevard, CentralBoulevard and Maxwell Road.There are provisions for anotherfive access points in Marina East.

roysim@sph.com.sg

The tiered ARF scheme has already made car taxes more progressive, so asimilar move on COEs may come across as overkill. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

ERP gantries coming up on busy AYE stretch near Clementi

The Marina Coastal Expressway (above) can replace the ECP as the main route for motorists travelling across various expressways. PHOTO: LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

Comprehensive reviewof quota system needed

Satellite ERP stillyears away: Lui

NO BLANKET CHARGE

Some motorists areworried they will becharged the momentthey leave home orstart their engines.Let me assure youthat we have nointention of doing so.

– Transport MinisterLui Tuck Yew

Gardensby the Bay

Marina BaySands

Marina BayGolf Course

East Coast Park

MarinaReservoir

MarinaReservoir

MarinaBarrage

(TowardsChangi)

(On eastbound MCE)

(On westboundMCE)

9.1haof land

reclamation

4ha of landreclamation

(On eastbound MCE)

(After theslip roadto MCE)

MARINASTATION

ROAD

EXTENDEDCENTRAL

BOULEVARD

EXTENDEDMARINA BOULEVARD

SHEARESAVENUE(downgraded ECP)

ESPLANADEDRIVE

OPHIR ROAD

EAST COAST PARKWAYMarina Baystation

Marina Bay CruiseCentre Singapore

Bayfrontstation

Marina South Pier station(under construction)

MarinaSouth Pier

Promenadestation

(Towards CentralBoulevard)

BAYFRONT

AVEN

UEMARINA BOULEVARD

Marina bay crossing

420m of tunnel under the sea

MARINA COASTALEXPRESSWAY

KALLANG-PAYA LEBA

R EX

PRES

SWAY

Tanjong Pagarstation

PRINCEEDWARD ROAD

AYER RAJAHEXPRESSWAY

(On eastbound MCE)

(On westboundMCE)

9.1haof land

reclamation

MARINAMARINAMARINAMARINAMARINASTATIONSTATIONSTATIONSTATIONSTATIONSTATION

ROADROADROADROADROAD

EXTENDEDCENTRAL

BOULEVARD

Marina BayMarina BayMarina Baystationstation

Marina Bay CruiseMarina Bay CruiseMarina Bay CruiseCentre SingaporeCentre Singapore

MarinaSouth Pier

MARINA BOULEVARD

MARINA BOULEVARD

MARINA BOULEVARD

MARINA BOULEVARD

(On eastbound MCE)(On eastbound MCE)(On eastbound MCE)(On eastbound MCE)

Tanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong PagarTanjong Pagarstationstationstationstationstationstationstationstationstationstation

PRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEPRINCEEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROADEDWARD ROAD

AYER RAJAHAYER RAJAHAYER RAJAHAYER RAJAHAYER RAJAHAYER RAJAHAYER RAJAHAYER RAJAHEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAYEXPRESSWAY

UNDERSEAHIGHWAY LINKThe $4.3 billion Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) is on track to open by the end of this year. All structural works have been completed.

KEY FEATURES OF THE MCEKEY FEATURES OF THE MCE

■ Joins East Coast Parkway and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway to Ayer Rajah Expressway ■ Dual five-lanes ■ 5 km long, comprising 3.6 km of tunnel and1.4 km of road and viaduct structure■ Features Singapore’s first undersea tunnel

Source: LTA

GRAPHICS: LIM YONG

Raffles Placestation

To be installed* New*ERP gantry

MCE

To be removed*

CBD cordon

Existing

Ventilation buildingNew slip roadDepressed road

ViaductSurface roadTunnel

NOTE: *To be implemented only upon MCE opening and completion of road network.

By CHRISTOPHER TANSENIOR TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT

Structural works done, including undersea tunnel

Marina expressway ready by year-end

NEWSANALYSIS

A6 TTOOPP OOFF TTHHEE NNEEWWSS F R I D A Y , M A Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 3