​New ERP System to Start in 2020: Includes New In-Vehicle Units

(Photo Credit: MyCarForum)

Update: LTA has clarified that these photos were used for a study in 2016, and are NOT actual depictions of the new on-board unit. Details of the new ERP system have not been finalised either. More details can be found here.

In February 2020, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat also announced that the distance-based ERP system will not be ready for several years.

Existing in-vehicle units (IUs) will be replaced “progressively from next year”. These new on-board units (OBUs) will apparently display more information such as live traffic information and coupon-less street parking.

For those unaware, LTA has been testing a new generation of satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system since 2018. Instead of a gantry, which charges a flat rate, this new system will track and charge motorists based on distance.

To accommodate this new system, the existing IUs will be replaced with new OBUs starting from next year. According to LTA, the first replacement will be “free of charge” and can be done at vehicle inspections centres and selected approved workshops.

LTA also added that there will be a transition period, during which the existing and new ERP system will “co-exist”.

A quick search online revealed several alleged photos of the new OBUs. Featuring a touchscreen, it appears to have several interesting new features.

(Photo Credit: MyCarForum)

Besides highlighting your Cash Card balance, it also comes with a traffic information feed-cum-GPS which highlights traffic jams, closed roads, and offers directions. It also comes with an option to pay for roadside parking, similar to what the Parking.sg app offers. It also appears to have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.

Online reactions have been mixed thus far. Some netizens welcome the new layout and functions, while others have likened it to a “taxi meter”. And of course, there were some who were not receptive of the distance-based charging under the new system.

However, please bear in mind that these are NOT the actual photos of the OBUs and are likely to change in the future.

What are your thoughts about the new ERP system and OBUs? Let us know in the comments below!

Alleged photos taken from MyCarForum.

(Photo Credit: MyCarForum)

(Photo Credit: MyCarForum)

(Photo Credit: MyCarForum)

Read more: Inconsiderate Drivers of the Week: Episode 37

Download the new Motorist app now. Designed by drivers for drivers, this all-in-one app lets you receive the latest traffic updates, gives you access to live traffic cameras, and helps you manage LTA and vehicle matters.