The Land Transport Authority opened a four-week public consultation on Wednesday on proposed Electronic Road Pricing adjustments for Central Business District corridors, including Orchard Road, Marina Centre, and connecting arterial routes into the downtown core.
Under the draft framework, peak charging windows would shift by 30 minutes on weekday mornings and evenings to reflect post-pandemic commute patterns documented in the authority's 2025 traffic telemetry review. Morning peak rates would apply from 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m., while evening peak would run from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. at affected gantries. Off-peak charges would decrease by $0.50 to $1.00 at six locations where average speeds have remained above target thresholds for twelve consecutive months.
Data behind the proposal
LTA chief transport planner Dr Vincent Ng said hybrid work arrangements have flattened the traditional 8.30 a.m. congestion spike, spreading vehicle entries across a wider interval. "ERP is a demand-management instrument," Ng told reporters at the LTA Hampshire Road headquarters. "Time bands must track when congestion actually forms, not when it formed a decade ago."
MediaPitch reviewed consultation documents showing average travel speeds along Orchard Road during the proposed morning window improved marginally in 2025 but remained below the 20 to 30 km/h target band on 42 per cent of monitored days. Marina Centre approaches recorded higher variability, influenced by cruise-ship passenger movements and weekend event traffic spilling into weekdays.
Stakeholder reactions
Retail tenants along Orchard Road welcomed off-peak reductions but questioned whether shorter peak windows would merely compress congestion. Orchard Road Business Association executive director Michelle Teo called for paired investments in bus lane enforcement and loading-bay turnover. "Rate tweaks without kerbside discipline shift the bottleneck one block downstream," Teo said.
Private-hire drivers and taxi operators surveyed by the National Private Hire Vehicles Association expressed mixed views. Part-time drivers favoured narrower peaks; full-time downtown operators said shifted windows could reduce fare revenue during previously high-demand intervals.
"Congestion pricing works when commuters can see a credible alternative. Without that, ERP is only a surcharge with a clock attached."
Urban mobility researcher Associate Professor Kenji Lim of the Singapore University of Technology and Design attributed the quote to a transport forum in April, noting that ERP revisions achieve policy goals only when paired with MRT frequency and bus connectivity riders perceive as reliable.
Consultation and implementation
Public submissions close on 6 August via the LTA feedback portal and physical forms at SingPost branches. The authority will publish a response summary in September. If approved, revised rates would take effect from 3 November 2026, with two weeks' advance notice on gantry signage and the OneMotoring platform.
MediaPitch will report the consultation outcome and final rate tables when published. Corrections can be sent via our contact form.