Why Emas signboards have to be upgraded

We thank Mr Tan Poh Lam ("Is it necessary to upgrade electronic road signboards?"; Tuesday) and Mr Francis Cheng ("Ensure Emas system is up to the mark"; Forum Online, Tuesday) for their feedback.

Since 1998, the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System (Emas) has been an effective integrated incident management system on Singapore's expressway network.

Through a network of electronic signboards, Emas informs motorists of any traffic situation or incidents in real time while they are on the roads.

These signboards are located along expressways and before the entrance to expressways, so that motorists can decide whether to continue to use the expressway or take an alternative route in the event of any traffic incidents.

Many motorists have highlighted to us the usefulness of the Emas signboards in helping them make informed travel decisions.

The Emas signboards are serviced every two months, and checked frequently by staff and contractors as they drive along the expressways, to ensure integrity and quality of the message displays.

Should any fault develop, our maintenance contractors are on standby to attend to it. Members of the public who notice a fault can alert us through our 1800-CALL-LTA hotline or the Snap and Send feature under the MyTransport.SG mobile application.

With Emas in operation for more than a decade, the system is nearing the end of its shelf life. Hence, we need to upgrade it so that motorists can continue to make good use of it.

We are also putting in new features to further enhance motorists' experience. The upgraded signboards will have more space to display messages, which can be in up to seven colours (green, red, blue, cyan, purple, yellow and white) for better readability.

Helen Lim (Ms)

Director, Media Relations

Land Transport Authority

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