New ERP 2 road markings and signs to appear from October; gantries to be removed progressively

Motorists will progressively see new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) road markings and signs across Singapore from October.

This comes ahead of the launch of the ERP 2 system on Jan 1 next year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement on Monday (Sept 28).

It added that two oval blue "ERP" symbols will be painted on each lane of arterial and slip roads, while three symbols will be painted on each lane of expressways to improve visibility for motorists travelling at higher speeds.

In addition, a new "ERP Charge Zone" road sign will be installed at the start of each ERP charging location as an additional visual cue for motorists, LTA stated.

Implementation of the new road markings and road signs will begin progressively from October across the 33 existing ERP operational locations. 

The works will be completed ahead of the transition to ERP 2 on Jan 1, LTA said.

Alongside these works, LTA said its contractors will progressively remove physical ERP gantries across Singapore. Some gantry frames may be retained and repurposed with roadside units to support satellite connectivity.

These gantries will be removed in two phases, starting with the removal of 62 non-operational gantries. The remaining 33 operational gantries will be removed after gantry-based ERP charging ceases on Dec 31.

How the design was chosen

Between March and July this year, LTA conducted a two-phase user experience study to assess the effectiveness of different sets of road markings and road signs.

During the first round of trials at Bayshore Drive in March, various signs and markings were tested along the said stretch of road. 

Then, between June and July, LTA implemented five combinations of signages in a more comprehensive test at five expressways and arterial roads representing different traffic and road conditions.

AsiaOne joined about 1,000 other motorists during the second phase of the study. 

During a drive-through, AsiaOne found that the blue lines trialled along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) were less obvious and could be easily overlooked by motorists.

Meanwhile, the blue oval symbols and a 25m-long blue stretch of road were more visible.

Concluding the user experience study, LTA said the blue oval ERP symbol emerged as the preferred option, achieving high visibility under different traffic and weather conditions, while being easily understood by motorists as a visual cue for an ERP charging location.

To date, more than 98 per cent of eligible Singapore-registered vehicles have installed the ERP 2 on-board unit (OBU).

Most motorists have chosen to install the touchscreen display, which unlocks the full range of ERP 2 features, including viewing and paying outstanding ERP charges, paying roadside parking charges, and temporarily disabling CEPAS card payments for complimentary parking.

All Singapore-registered motor vehicles must be fitted with the ERP 2 OBU by Jan 1, 2027.

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editor@asiaone.com