The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore announced
yesterday that it will be testing the efficacy of Automatic Number Plate
Recognition (ANPR) camera systems and Dedicated Short Range Communications
(DSRC) beacons at various locations along expressways and major thoroughfares starting
from now until 2019.
These tests will enable LTA to determine the performance and
reliability of such technologies under various real-life environmental and
traffic conditions for future traffic management systems which will leverage
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology.
This is expected to replace the existing Electronic Road
Pricing (ERP)
system, wherein motorists are charged when they use priced roads during peak
hours, based on a pay-as-you-use principle. The ERP system minimises traffic
volume in heavily used roads and optimises usage of the road network by
encouraging motorists to consider alternatives. However, the current gantry
system, which is two decades old will become increasingly expensive and
difficult to maintain.
In February 2016, LTA awarded
a tender worth S$556 million to a consortium of NCS Pte Ltd and Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries Engine System Asia Pte Ltd. to develop the next-generation ERP
system, using GNSS Technology.
The new system would allow for more flexibility in managing
traffic congestion through distance-based road pricing, where motorists are
charged according to the distance travelled on congested roads, instead of a
flat fee, which would be fairer to motorists. It will also be able to overcome
the constraints of physical gantries, which are costly and take up land space.
ANPR systems and DSRC beacons do not require heavy physical
infrastructure and will be mounted on existing roadside infrastructure such as
overhead bridges, overhead gantry signages, lamp posts, and EMAS
gantries.
The use of ANPR technology will facilitate enforcement,
while DSRC beacons will also be installed in some areas to enhance positioning
accuracy in Singapore’s highly urbanised environment.
Testing equipment will also be mounted onto vehicles, which will be deployed at
localised areas such as Tuas South from April 2018, before expanding
island-wide for testing.
