It should come as no surprise that even after 20 years of the ERP system, many motorists here remain sceptical about electronic road pricing. Only a third of 1,230 motorists polled recently gave it an above average rating for its effectiveness in combating traffic congestion. The irony is that 77 per cent of them also said ERP played a part in deciding where and when they drive.

One explanation of the public rating is that no commuter welcomes a tax when it affects him or her. But the key question is whether traffic congestion would be worse without the ERP system. The dispassionate answer must be a "yes". One indication of this is the eagerness of other cities to follow Singapore's lead in levying such charges.