TAXI commuters may take an alternative route to avoid the new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry in Upper Bukit Timah Road, but they will end up paying $2 more in cab fares - and take a longer time to get to the city.

This was the conclusion of a test carried out yesterday morning by two Straits Times reporters.

Their mission: to get from Choa Chu Kang to Bugis Junction in the Central Business District by taxi via two different routes.

One passed through the new ERP gantry in Upper Bukit Timah Road after Hume Avenue. The other bypassed the gantry, taking a detour into Hillview Avenue and Bukit Batok East Avenue 2 before rejoining Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Both taxis then went through Bukit Timah and Newton to get to Bugis Junction.

The reporter who passed the new gantry paid $1 more in ERP charges and ran up a cab fare of $27.45 - almost $2 cheaper than the $29.40 paid by the reporter who took a detour.

The first reporter also arrived at Bugis Junction five minutes earlier. He had travelled 17.1km. The other reporter travelled 18.6km.

YEO GHIM LAY