IMAGINE trying to buy or borrow a CashCard from another motorist right on the jam-packed Central Expressway.

A taxi driver did just that after a new evening electronic road pricing (ERP) gantry started operation this week, apparently catching him by surprise.

He stopped by the emergency shoulder just before the gantry, got out of his cab and then begged other waiting motorists to let him use their CashCards.

He apparently succeeded in persuading one motorcyclist to part with his CashCard, on the condition that the latter would use it to cross the gantry first.

After the biker went past the gantry, the cabby ran to him, took the CashCard, rushed back to his cab, and then drove off.

CAUSED TRAFFIC JAM

The cabby's antics, and those of other motorists who stopped illegally on the emergency shoulder, reduced traffic along the CTE to a crawl.

All this because a night ERP gantry, on the northbound CTE after the Jalan Bahagia exit, was activated on Monday.

Many of these motorists were spotted waiting along the CTE shoulder from 8pm onwards, without realising that this new ERP gantry operates from 5.30pm until 10.30pm.

With this new gantry, northbound motorists on the CTE, like those headed to Ang Mo Kio or Yishun, may have to pay ERP twice.

There is already an existing gantry along the northbound CTE near the Braddell Road exit which operates until 8pm.

A check by The New Paper team from about 7.30pm to 9pm on Tuesday found cars and motorcycles changing lanes amid heavy traffic to get on to the expressway shoulder.

Some had forgotten to put their CashCards into the in-vehicle unit.bOthers wanted to avoid paying either the 50 cents or $1 fee at the new ERP gantry before the PIE exit.

They stopped at the shoulder and waited and, as a result, caused a congestion. At least 20 cars were seen stopping by the road shoulder over the 11/2-hour period.

There were also other inconsiderate motorists who came to a complete halt before the gantry, causing a chain of motorists behind them to brake suddenly as well.

As if that was not bad enough, some cars and motorcyclists even tried to reverse against the flow of heavy traffic to escape through Jalan Bahagia.

Motorists who spoke to The New Paper were peeved by the antics of these reckless motorists.

Photos: Choo Chwee Hua

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