The Land Transport Authority says four parties have been picked to run a trial for a next-generation ERP system, which is likely to use satellite tracking. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
THOSE iconic blue-and-white gantries standing astride major roads and expressways for electronic road pricing (ERP) could well be history in the near future.
Four parties have been picked to run a trial for a next-generation ERP system, one likely to use satellite tracking.
The four are Kapsch TrafficCom; MHI Engine System Asia & NCS; ST Electronics (Info-Comm Systems) & IBM Singapore; and Watchdata Technologies & Beijing Watchdata System.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said each will receive $1 million in seed funding 'to design, develop and demonstrate technological solutions' for the new system, which could charge motorists not only according to where they go, but also for the distances they clock.
The trial starts next month and will last 11/2 years, a timeframe that will include 'live' on-the-road testing to prove the robustness of the system.
Experts say the main challenge of a satellite-tracked ERP system lies in its patchy accuracy. Densely built-up areas can create what are known as 'urban canyons', where satellite signals bounce off tall buildings, distorting readings.
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
christan@sph.com.sg
