A few months prior to this, who would’ve thought that a worldwide pandemic would occur.
Today, we can’t even sit too close to other people at restaurants in the name of social distancing, and even malls at Orchard look like ghost towns.
But it’s not just malls that are empty, it’s our roads too.
Most ERPs to Be Turned Off or Have Reduced Rates from 6 April Due to Fewer Vehicles on the Road
Electronic road pricing (ERP) will be suspended at most locations beginning 6 April, while some other spots will see rates being reduced.
However, all gantries in the city and on arterial roads will remain the same.
This is all due to the coronavirus which has resulted in fewer people commuting, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Hence, LTA has decided to forgo the usual quarterly review of ERP rates in the meantime.
Instead, it will apply zero charging at several gantries during most time slots.
For example, Southbound CTE from Braddell Road towards the city will be free, down from between $2 and $1 now.
PIE between Adam Road and Mt Pleasant Road will likewise have zero charging, from between $1 and $2 now.
All in all, 74 out of 77 gantries will see a reduction of at least $2.
LTA Says Reduction Is Not Meant To Encourage People To Drive More
LTA wishes to emphasise that the reduction in ERP is not meant to encourage motorists to drive more.
In light of the COVID-19, motorists and commuters are still encouraged to defer all non-essential travel.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan told reporters that he had asked the LTA to review rates two weeks ago after he noticed that traffic was lighter “than even during the December holidays”.
“And yesterday, I deliberately during peak hour, 8am, I went to work in the office, I drove. Usually, it takes me 55 minutes, but yesterday I did it in 20 minutes,” he added.
Indeed, it isn’t surprising that there’s less traffic on the roads given that most Singaporeans would prefer to stay home and practice social distancing due to the coronavirus.
Here’s a little update on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore:
The COVID-19 Situation In Singapore
There are a total of 35 new cases in Singapore as of 30 March, out of which 9 are imported.
These imported cases have been to regions such as Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and ASEAN.
3 new clusters have been found in Singapore. The first is Hero’s, a bar in Circular Road that’s now closed until 30 April 2020 due to the new measures.
The second is a dormitory at Punggol with 4 confirmed cases, in which 2 were reported today.
The last is a serviced apartment (think of it as a long-term hotel) at Wilby Road, in which 7 cases are linked to it.
Singapore now has a total of 879 confirmed cases.
228 patients have fully recovered and are discharged, while 19 are still in ICU. 3 have passed away due to complications due to the COVID-19.