ERP 2.0 early adopters can reposition unit to driver's side for free: Chee Hong Tat

Motorists who have had the nextgeneration Electronic Road Pricing system (ERP 2.0) on-board units (OBU) installed in their vehicles as at May 2 can reposition the processing units from the passenger's footwell to the driver's footwell for free if they wish, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.

- Esther Loi

About 2 per cent, or 18,000 vehicles, of almost one million vehicles in Singapore have been fitted with OBUS since August 2023, noted Mr Chee, with around 11,000 of them being fleet vehicles such as buses and company-registered vehicles.

Mr Chee said this in Parliament on May 8 in response to questions from MPs on public concerns about the design of the ERP 2.0 on-board unit.

This follows complaints from drivers about potential safety risks in reaching for payment cards located at the passenger's footwell, as well as the bulkiness of the three-piece OBU comprising the processing unit, an antenna and a touchscreen display.

Previously, early adopters of the ERP 2.0 had no choice but to place the processing units in the front passenger's footwell when the OBUS were installed in their vehicles from August 2023.

To ensure fairness, the switch in the location of the ERP 2.0 processing units will be free for these users, said Mr Chee in response to a question from Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) who asked about Mr Chee's experience with the unit as an early adopter.

Mr Chee's response came six days after the Land Transport Authority confirmed that the processing unit can be installed on the driver's side, if suitable.