SINGAPORE: Some drivers have found it a hassle to remove their CEPAS cards from their ERP 2.0 on-board units (OBU) when exiting car parks if they have complimentary parking.
Soon, however, OBU touchscreens will have a button to help drivers “temporarily deactivate” CEPAS cards in such situations.
This was among the new features highlighted by the Land Transport Authority on Thursday (Mar 28) that will be rolled out for OBUs and their installation process following feedback from early adopters.
The first phase of OBU installation under the new Electronic Road Pricing system, known as ERP 2.0, began in November 2023 for company vehicles. More than 13,000 vehicles have been fitted with OBUs.
The next phase of installation will begin on May 1.
All new vehicles registered on or from May 1 will come pre-fitted with an OBU, while existing local motorcycle owners will start being notified from May 1 about their upcoming installation period.
Here are three key things to note this time round.
Early adopters have given feedback that the processing unit was difficult to reach from the driver’s seat.
Drivers who have complimentary parking tickets might therefore have found it inconvenient to remove their CEPAS cards from their processing units before exiting car parks.
A valid CEPAS card – such as a NETS FlashPay card, NETS Motoring Card and EZ-Link Motoring Card – is used to pay for ERP charges.
LTA said it will soon implement a button on the touchscreen display that will “temporarily deactivate” CEPAS cards for these drivers with complimentary parking tickets.
The temporary deactivation feature only applies to this scenario. It does not affect ERP charging, even if a driver forgets to press the button and “reactivate” their CEPAS card once they have left a car park.
This feature will currently only be available for all motorists with the touchscreen.
One placement option for the processing unit is in the passenger footwell next to the driver. (Photo: CNA/Hanidah Amin)
Motorists will be able to choose their preferred location for the processing unit among the technically feasible options within their vehicle.
Some locations where the processing units have been installed so far are in the passenger footwell, under the glove compartment and under the driver’s seat – depending on the vehicle make and model.
When the OBU installation exercise was first rolled out, the processing unit was installed in a location deemed technically suitable by a workshop technician.
But motorists who already installed their OBUs said they would have appreciated being consulted by the workshop on the placement of their processing units.
As such, motorists who have yet to be notified can expect to make two decisions during the installation process: First, whether they want the touchscreen display, and second, where they prefer their processing unit to be fitted.
To make the transition smoother for motorists, LTA will deploy service ambassadors to authorised workshops.
These service ambassadors will guide motorists as they familiarise themselves with the functions of the OBUs.
They may also suggest the NETS automatic top-up option for motorists who do not wish to remove the CEPAS card from the processing unit and do a manual top-up whenever the card has no value.
Backend payment options offered by NETS or EZ-Link Motoring Service allow motorists to pay for ERP without the need for any card in their OBU.
But as not all car parks support this option yet, motorists are advised to have a spare card on hand to pay for parking.
Separately, LTA noted that motorists’ OBU number is the same as their current in-vehicle unit (IU) number – so details like season parking information will be ported over automatically.
This, along with the automatic top-up option, is meant to enable a smoother transition to OBU for all motorists.
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Soon, however, OBU touchscreens will have a button to help drivers “temporarily deactivate” CEPAS cards in such situations.
This was among the new features highlighted by the Land Transport Authority on Thursday (Mar 28) that will be rolled out for OBUs and their installation process following feedback from early adopters.
The first phase of OBU installation under the new Electronic Road Pricing system, known as ERP 2.0, began in November 2023 for company vehicles. More than 13,000 vehicles have been fitted with OBUs.
The next phase of installation will begin on May 1.
All new vehicles registered on or from May 1 will come pre-fitted with an OBU, while existing local motorcycle owners will start being notified from May 1 about their upcoming installation period.
Here are three key things to note this time round.
1. Touchscreen button to “temporarily disable” CEPAS card
Early adopters have given feedback that the processing unit was difficult to reach from the driver’s seat.
Drivers who have complimentary parking tickets might therefore have found it inconvenient to remove their CEPAS cards from their processing units before exiting car parks.
A valid CEPAS card – such as a NETS FlashPay card, NETS Motoring Card and EZ-Link Motoring Card – is used to pay for ERP charges.
LTA said it will soon implement a button on the touchscreen display that will “temporarily deactivate” CEPAS cards for these drivers with complimentary parking tickets.
The temporary deactivation feature only applies to this scenario. It does not affect ERP charging, even if a driver forgets to press the button and “reactivate” their CEPAS card once they have left a car park.
This feature will currently only be available for all motorists with the touchscreen.
One placement option for the processing unit is in the passenger footwell next to the driver. (Photo: CNA/Hanidah Amin)
2. Choice of processing unit placement
Motorists will be able to choose their preferred location for the processing unit among the technically feasible options within their vehicle.
Some locations where the processing units have been installed so far are in the passenger footwell, under the glove compartment and under the driver’s seat – depending on the vehicle make and model.
When the OBU installation exercise was first rolled out, the processing unit was installed in a location deemed technically suitable by a workshop technician.
But motorists who already installed their OBUs said they would have appreciated being consulted by the workshop on the placement of their processing units.
As such, motorists who have yet to be notified can expect to make two decisions during the installation process: First, whether they want the touchscreen display, and second, where they prefer their processing unit to be fitted.
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3. Service ambassadors at workshops
To make the transition smoother for motorists, LTA will deploy service ambassadors to authorised workshops.
These service ambassadors will guide motorists as they familiarise themselves with the functions of the OBUs.
They may also suggest the NETS automatic top-up option for motorists who do not wish to remove the CEPAS card from the processing unit and do a manual top-up whenever the card has no value.
Backend payment options offered by NETS or EZ-Link Motoring Service allow motorists to pay for ERP without the need for any card in their OBU.
But as not all car parks support this option yet, motorists are advised to have a spare card on hand to pay for parking.
Separately, LTA noted that motorists’ OBU number is the same as their current in-vehicle unit (IU) number – so details like season parking information will be ported over automatically.
This, along with the automatic top-up option, is meant to enable a smoother transition to OBU for all motorists.
Continue reading...