Expect higher Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges and more gantries to control traffic flow as Singapore's population expands.

This is inevitable, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday at a post-Budget dialogue with community leaders.

"I know the Central Expressway (CTE) is very expensive...It cannot be helped, because if all of us want to drive our cars on the road at the same time, either eight in the morning or five in the evening, we are going to have a problem," he said.

The CTE will become a public carpark.

To prevent this, ERP will have to go up, he said, adding: "There'll have to be more gantries at more places, a more comprehensive network."

The Government is studying this issue, together with all the other ideas to develop better roads and highways. It will issue a report later this year.

Mr Lee was asked about the Government??s plans to ensure the transport system could cope with a 6.5 million population.

He said more roads would be built, the MRT network expanded, and Singaporeans would have to get used to taking public transport.

"You go to work, come back from work, you take public transport. You have a car on the weekends, you take your car out for a spin," he said.