Thursday January 31, 2008

Singapore : More ERP gantries, higher ERP rates, road tax cuts

channelnewsasia.com :

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.

Singapore has the same problem faced by many other growing cities in the world - an insatiable appetite for cars, leading to congestion and possible gridlock. Singapore transport officials said congestion has climbed 25% since 1999. So, ERP coverage will be expanded, where 16 more gantries will be activated this year, adding to the current 55.

channelnewsasia.com :

The government will spend S$14 billion to improve Singapore's road infrastructure over the coming years. The go-ahead has been given for the new North-South Expressway, which will cost some S$7-8 billion and be ready by 2020. The 21-kilometre expressway will link Woodlands and Yishun in the north to the East Coast Parkway. It will run somewhat parallel to the Central Expressway, thereby relieving traffic from the heavily-used CTE. The S$2.5 billion Marina Coastal Expressway, linking the eastern and western parts to Marina Bay, will be ready by 2013. Then there is the widening of the Central and Tampines Expressways, which will be completed by 2011. When completed, the CTE will have four lanes on either side.

This is a rather comprehensive (and expensive) plan. The road and rail improvements together add up to a whopping $34 billion worth of infrastructure expenditure by the Singapore government. Now that's fiscal stimulus. Next, can we have some semblance of an energy security plan to run all these cars and trains beyond the global oil peak in 2010?

See also :

1. Singapore MRT rail network length to double by 2020
2. Public transport : Miles to go before Singapore's world-class
3. Efficient land transport crucial to economy: minister
4. New transport road map to be drawn up

(2008-01-31 20:30:20 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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