ERP GANTRIES ALONG KPE

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ERP GANTRIES ALONG KPE:

(Rationale): 2.

Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Transport (a) if he will explain the rationale for building 16 new ERP gantries along KPE when it is not even fully operational; and (b)whether the same rationale will be applied to all new and existing expressways to build gantries at all possible junctions in anticipation of slower traffic flows.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Mr Teo Ser Luck) (for the Minister for Transport): Sir, when fully opened on 20th September 2008, the 12-kilometre long Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) will stretch from the East Coast Parkway (ECP) in the south to the Tampines Expressway (TPE) in the north. Of the 12 kilometres, nine kilometres of the expressway are constructed as an underground tunnel.

Congestion in long underground tunnels, such as the KPE, poses safety concerns. Incidents occurring in long underground tunnels are more dangerous than if they occur on surface roads. In the event of an incident, especially if it involves a fire, vehicles in the tunnel may be trapped and the severity of the incident will multiply many fold, if there is traffic congestion in there. Hence, it is prudent that we install ERP gantries as part of the infrastructure of such tunnels, so that we can act in a timely manner to prevent congestion from building up so as to enhance the safety of motorists.

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This rationale is unique to the KPE, in view of the safety concerns, and it is not applied to arterial roads or other expressways on the surface. Instead, LTA will continue to monitor the traffic conditions over an extended period of time, and will only set up new ERP gantries and levy charges if traffic speeds, taken over a period of several months, consistently fall below the minimum threshold speed.

Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar): Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his answer.

(1) I would like to agree that ERP is effective in controlling traffic congestion. I understand that the cost of constructing a three-lane ERP gantry, based on a report in the Straits Times in July, is about $1.5 million per gantry. While ensuring the smooth flow of traffic is important, I would like the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to share how the Ministry is balancing the need for upfront infrastructure investment – in this case, about $24 million for the 16 gantries along the KPE – with the need for prudent use of public funds to solve a potential need in future.

(2) I would also like the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to clarify if there is now a dual function of the ERP to ensure safety on expressways; and

(3) Would this rationale also be applied to other underground expressways, like the CTE tunnel?

Mr Teo Ser Luck: On the first question on balancing cost and installation, I have mentioned in my answer that safety is of paramount concern. For the KPE, we are taking a very proactive approach to install the gantries, because the lead time of activating them has to be short due to the safety concern and the higher risk in the long tunnel. This is the longest tunnel we

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have ever had. It is nine kilometres long, and there is a higher risk in the tunnel compared to surface roads if there is congestion. So, we wanted to take safety precautions and installed the gantries first. But it does not change how we activate it. We will only activate it when the speed is below the threshold level. The activation rationale and policy do not change, but the installation consideration may be different.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Sir, my second question is about the dual function of the ERP while the third is on whether it will be extended to the CTE tunnel.

Mr Teo Ser Luck: The CTE tunnel, as Members know, is shorter. The installation for the KPE is due to the fact that this is a very long tunnel. There are safety concerns. Where the CTE is concerned, it does not pose that kind of risk at this point in time. But we will continue to monitor. We will look at how we have been installing the gantries in terms of timing and how we are activating them so far. But the activation is still based on the threshold speed of 45 kilometres per hour. As for installation, when there is paramount concern to the safety level, we will install it proactively.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): May I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary what is the rationale for having 16 gantries, since it is only one tunnel?

Mr Teo Ser Luck: Why install 16 gantries? It is based at the entries and exits of the KPE. We have installed them, but that does not mean that we are activating them. As I have explained, it depends whether the speed falls below the threshold level. There were three gantries installed along the KPE before its opening in October 2007, but only one has been activated. This is because it is a gantry that mirrors the ECP gantry for traffic going up the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. The other two gantries are not

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activated because their speeds have not gone below the threshold level. So, these two are separate. We might install them so that we have a faster reaction time for safety reasons, but we may not activate them unless their speeds go below the threshold level.