New ERP system 
will draw on tech advances, lower cost

SINGAPORE — By 2020, when the new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system using satellite positioning technology is in place, it will be about two decades since the idea of a “next-generation” ERP system was first mooted here by the authorities.

Over that period, the accuracy of the Global Positioning System (GPS) has improved tremendously, making it viable for implementation. Government tests in 2006 showed the margin of error in certain areas was up to 50m. Today, sub-metre accuracy is attainable, industry players told TODAY.

The maturing of technology also means that such systems are now less costly. However, some limitations — such as reduced accuracy due to an urbanised landscape — still have to be overcome, said experts.

Tapping on satellites for road pricing is an idea the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been exploring for years. In 2006, the LTA tested the accuracy of the GPS as a means of electronically collecting toll fares, but the large margin of error was a major issue. A trial in 2007 found that the accuracy of satellite tracking in open areas, such as highways, was above 90 per cent. However, in the city centre, this figure was only around 30 per cent. When it called for a system-evaluation test in June 2011, the LTA cautioned that a new generation ERP system was “still some years away”.

After an 18-month trial that concluded in December 2012, in which four consortia submitted proposals after having undertaken various test solutions, the LTA announced early this month that such a system is finally technologically feasible.

A tender has been called, shortlisting three companies to develop a second-generation ERP system based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology, which uses satellites to pinpoint a user’s geographic location.