Previously, early adopters of the ERP 2.0 had no choice but to place the processing units in the front passenger’s footwell.
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. Mr Chee’s response came six days after the Land Transport Authority confirmed that the processing unit of the new OBUsReiterating the complexity of the ERP 2.0 transition, Mr Chee said the adoption of new OBUs is a major exercise involving many motorists and a diverse range of vehicle makes and models, including new and existing vehicles.
As one of the early adopters, Mr Chee said he had some initial concerns about not being able to reach his payment card conveniently if he had to use complimentary parking tickets. Adding that ERP 2.0 is designed to prevent motorists from needing to remove their payment cards from the processing unit while they are driving, Mr Chee noted that drivers can view the balance on their payment cards on the touchscreen display once they start their cars.
“I did not suggest that is an inevitable outcome ,” said Mr Chee, “... What ERP 2.0 gives us is the option to do distance-based charging, if we wish to do so.”Addressing Mr Giam’s question on the viability of a smartphone-based system as a default for ERP 2.0, Mr Chee reiterated that the system requires devices to be permanently affixed to the vehicle to track its location.