Well, the fact is that, you don’t really have a choice if you happen to be a driver who regularly drive through some gantries. ERP rates are set to go up with effect from 4th February 2008. All affected gantries will have their rates increased by S$0.50. If you drive past the Bukit Timah Expressway gantry, the Central Expressway gantry as well as the Pan Island Expressway gantry, then you may want to take note of it. Likewise, if you have a habit of driving through the gantries at Orchard Road, YMCA and Fort Canning unconsciously (like how I once did and went "oops!"), you may want to appreciate that the gantries are still on from 7:00pm to 8:00pm on weekdays and 5:30pm to 6:30pm on Saturdays with charges.

SINGAPORE: Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are set to go up by S$0.50 starting 4 February, according to the Land Transport Authority. At the Bukit Timah Expressway gantry, motorists will be charged S$1.00 from 7.30am to 8am, and S$1.50 from 8am to 8.30am.

At the Central Expressway (CTE) gantry north of Braddell Road, ERP rates will go up to S$1.00 for those driving from 7.00am to 7.30am. The same charge applies to those driving along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) at Adam Road from 8am to 8.30am.

Those going through the nine gantries at Orchard Road, the YMCA and Fort Canning gantries will have to fork out S$1.00 on weekdays from 7pm to 8pm. The same charge applies for those gantries on Saturday afternoons as well, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. - CNA/ac

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 28th January 2008

Apparently, this is the second person who conveniently disappeared after deciding that he owed too much debt to the extend that there is no way for him to repay everything. While the first person who tried this conveniently faked tragedy in a canoe accident, the second one just disappeared aboard a ferry with a suicide note in his car. He owed about S$562,000. In all popular Sheylara’s claim of lazy blogger-style blogging, will this happen here?

LONDON - A MAN thought to have died 15 years ago has been discovered alive and well - and claiming British state benefits under a fake name - according to a report.

In details that resemble the circumstances surrounding back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin and his wife’s deception - for which they were arrested and charged - The Sun tabloid on Monday claimed Mr Walter Dominy, feared drowned, was living in France and claiming benefits under a former neighbour’s identity.

Darwin and his wife Anne were remanded in custody earlier this month after their story generated worldwide interest since he walked into a London police station on Dec 1 last year, saying he had amnesia and thought he was a missing person.

It later emerged that, having been officially declared dead in 2003, he had been living with his wife in Panama.

Citing Mr Dominy’s daughter, The Sun said the now 71-year-old disappeared aboard a ferry in October 1993 and left a suicide note in his car, after he and his wife owed around 200,000 pounds (S$562,000) to creditors and tax authorities.

Three months later, however, he returned and began a new life with his wife in Northern Ireland where he managed to find work under the last name Kealy, and the pair retired to France about two years ago, the tabloid said.

‘I can’t live with the lies and deceit any more … Us kids were left burning with anger that someone we loved so dearly had so cruelly conned us,’ Mr Dominy’s 41-year-old daughter Lorna told the tabloid. — AFP

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 28th January 2008

More heartlanders are beginning to speak out about ERP gantries which are built in their estates - some claiming that the ERP gantries actually drive traffic onto the expressways - which are also gated by another ERP gantry. Some are even “squashed” between 2 gantries who do not make sense to them - but probably do to the authorities.

I can only wonder about the statement that someone made - soon, we’ll have gantries when we drive out of the carparks. I wonder if this is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Heartland ERP redirects traffic onto expressways

RECENTLY, more ERP gantries were built, some in the heartland.
The reason these gantries were built is that the roads they are built on lead to the city. These gantries will be turned on as necessary to ensure these roads maintain optimal traffic flow.

ERP is used on expressways to redirect traffic away from the expressways during peak hours. Drivers who do not wish to pay ERP to use the expressways during peak hours must find an alternative route to the city, such as through the heartland, or take public transport.

Once the new gantries are switched on, drivers will have to pay to get to the city whether they use the expressways or go through the heartland.

Will such a move actually redirect traffic back to the expressways?

If drivers have to pay ERP anyway, why should they pay to use a slower route through the heartland if paying a bit more on the expressway gets them there faster?

Vincent Ng Teck Soon

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I AM writing to find out why two ERP gantries have been erected at Upper Boon Keng and Geylang Bahru 500m apart. What traffic are these gantries meant to control?

Geylang West is a small residential estate, and we feel ‘locked in’ by these two gantries. Why should we put at a disadvantage?

Does the Land Transport Authority know the Housing and Development Board has decided to close Upper Boon Keng Road Food Centre temporarily for at least one year after Chinese New Year? Thus, the nearest market residents can patronise will be Geylang Bahru Hawker Centre.

Chan Nghee Eng

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 28th january 2008