Experimental camera-based ERP system being trialled till October

An experimental project using street-mounted cameras and vehicle licence plate recognition technology to compute Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges is being put to the test.

- Lee Nian Tjoe

The trial of the technology started in November 2024 and will run until October. There are no plans to roll out the technology, which is still in the exploratory stage.

Called ERP X, the experiment by Open Government Products (OGP), an independent division of the Government Technology Agency that builds technology for the public good, was one of 35 projects from OGP's Hack for Public Good 2024, a yearly hackathon.

Under the ERP X trial, nine cameras have been installed at different locations in the Bras Basah area. These cameras automatically recognise vehicle licence plate numbers, and toll payments are handled automatically through a smartphone app.

In contrast, ERP charges are processed through hardware installed in vehicles under the current system.

The Straits Times observed that in the Bras Basah area, the cameras are mounted on lamp posts and positioned to detect a vehicle's rear licence plate.

An OGP spokeswoman told ST that the trial is intended to gather feedback that will help the team understand the technology better, and it is working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on the trial.