Governance

Management of Traffic Flow

Sufficient land must be set aside for different uses

• Area Licensing Scheme (ALS)– 1970s

Problem: High traffic volume in the city centre especially during peak hours

– Solution: ALS• Motorists have to pay for the use of certain roads

in Singapore• Improving bus services, increasing the costs of

parking in city areas and providing park-and-ride facilities to support ALS

Measures to Control the Flow of Traffic

Measures to Control the Flow of Traffic

– In 1975• Motorists were unhappy with the increased costs

of travelling into CBD– Impact: The ALS was successful in ensuring

smooth traffic flow in the CBD – Many people showed support

Measures to Control the Flow of Traffic

Electronic Road Pricing Replaced ALS

in 1998 Served the

same purpose as the ALS but was more efficient and effective

Measures to Control the Flow of Traffic

• Park-and-Ride Scheme– Introduced as the same time as ALS– To control the traffic flow in CBD– Motorists could park their vehicles at

specific car parks outside the city area• Use public transport to enter the city area• Fewer vehicles would enter the CBD

– Not as successful• Switched to regular bus service• Drove into CBD before 7.30 a.m.

– Still being used today

Measures to Control the Flow of Traffic

Vehicle Quota System 1990s: A sharp increase in car ownership The Land Transport Authority (LTA)

determined the number of new motor vehicles for registrationThrough the implementation of

Certificate of Entitlement (COE) systemBuyers have to bid for COEEntitles the motorists to own the car for

10 years

Understanding Governance Through the Management of Traffic Flow in Singapore

ALS / ERP / PARK & RIDE / VQS

(Circle)

BenefitsWhat is it? How it works

Principles at work

Leadership is key: Government did what is right and not what

is popular – ALS despite unhappy

motorists Anticipate Change and Stay Relevant: From ALS to ERP – More effective and efficient, Park and Ride scheme still in use

Reward for Work andWork for Reward: Vehicle

Quota System - Buyers have to bid for COE, fair

system

ALS (Area Licensing Scheme)• Before the electronic road pricing

(ERP) came into being in 1998, we had the area licensing scheme (ALS). when it was first introduced in 1975, the ALS was in operation from 7.30 a.m. to 10.15 a.m. on weekdays. drivers of private cars had to pay $3 for a pass to enter the restricted zone during the operational hours.

• However, there was one concession. if a private car carried four heads or more, it could enter the zone without paying. this also led to car-pooling, where certain points were designated for car-pool pick-up. i use the word 'heads' instead of passengers because that was what the CISCO police, who were manning the gantry points, were instructed to do: count the number of heads in the car.

• As usual, the smart singaporeans tried to abuse this provision. private cars were picking up bus commuters just to avoid paying the fee. some tried to pass off a mannequin as one of the 'heads'. this eventually led to the scrapping of the four passengers or more for free entry into the zone.

• The cost of a licence to enter the restricted zone went up to $4 in 1976 and reached $5 in 1980. however, it came back to the original amount of $3 in 1989, when ALS was extended to the evening, from 4.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.

http://yesterday.sg/2009/04/when-having-dummies-in-the-car-was-a-good-thing/

ALS (Area Licensing Scheme)• The Area Licensing Scheme,

otherwise known as the ALS, was first introduced on 2 June 1975, to reduce rush hour traffic congestion in the city area. A total area of  6.1 sq km in the Central Business District was designated the Restricted Zone with the inclusion of Cuppage Road, Koek Road and Marina Centre in the 80s, increasing the total area to 7.2 sq km. Only one other country, namely Norway has copied it, and this only partially, with most nations stating public opposition as the reason for not implementing similar schemes. In the early morning of 1 September 1998, the last of the ALS gantries were taken down and replaced with the Electronic Road Pricing scheme, thus ending the 23 year old ALS scheme. 

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_777_2004-12-13.html

ERP (Electronic Road Pricing)• Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is an

electronic system of road pricing based on a pay-as-you-use principle. It is designed to be a fair system as motorists are charged when they use the road during peak hours.

• LTA reviews the traffic conditions on the expressways and roads, where the ERP system is in operation, on a quarterly basis and during the June and December school holidays.

• After the review, the ERP rates would then be adjusted where necessary to minimise congestion on the roads. ERP has been effective in maintaining an optimal speed range of 45 to 65 km/h for expressways and 20 to 30 km/h for arterial roads.

• The ERP system uses a dedicated short-range radio communication system to deduct ERP charges from CashCards. These are inserted in the In-vehicle Units (IUs) of vehicles before each journey.

• Each time vehicles pass through a gantry when the system is in operation, the ERP charges will be automatically deducted.

• The pay-as-you-use principle of ERP makes motorists more aware of the true cost of driving. This way, road usage can be optimised.

ERP (Electronic Road Pricing)• Aim:

Charges are levied on a per-pass basis and rates are set based on traffic conditions at the pricing points.A motorist is encouraged to decide whether to drive, when to drive and where to drive.He may choose a different route, mode of transport, time of travel, or not travel at all.Those who choose to pay and stay on the road will enjoy a smoother ride.

• Benefits:

Fair Charges are based on usage so those who contribute more to the congestion pay more. Those who use the roads less frequently or who travel during non-ERP hours will pay less or not need to pay at all.

Convenient Motorists need not purchase daily/monthly licences.

ReliableAs a fully automated system, there is no risk of human error as human enforcement is not required.

Park & Ride• Park & Ride

Park & Ride (P&R) is a scheme that allows motorists to enjoy attractive season parking rates at designated sites as well as "chauffeured convenience", via public transport.

To park and ride, you simply drive to a selected P&R site located near an MRT station, bus interchange or a bus stop, park your vehicle there and continue your journey, hassle-free by bus or MRT.

• Why Park & Ride

P&R saves you the typically high season parking fees charges in the Central Business District (CBD), and you can also avoid the ERP charges usually incurred when driving into the CBD during peak hours.

With CBD season parking rates and fuel prices currently on the rise, the P&R Scheme is gaining popularity. The Scheme spares you the frustration of being stuck in heavy traffic, and in the process saves you precious time, fuel and money. More importantly, the environment will also benefit from the reduced traffic congestion and the resultant pollution.

VQS (Vehicle Quota System)• The Vehicle Quota System was implemented

on 1 May 1990.

• Under this system, LTA determines the number of new vehicles allowed for registration while the market determines the price of owning a vehicle.

• In determining the number of cars allowed for registration, we take into account the prevailing traffic conditions and the number of vehicles taken off the roads permanently.

• The quota allocated to each vehicle category is in proportion to that category's share of the total vehicle population. The vehicle quota for a given year is administered through the monthly release of Certificates of Entitlement (COEs).The COEs are allocated through bidding.

http://www.lta.gov.sg/