Singapore : ERP rates are currently underpriced by 67%.

Singapore : ERP rates are currently underpriced by 67%.

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Road_Pricing

PAP government neglegently omitted to consider that roads are a big cause of flooding because they are designed to quickly drain off surface water. This builds up into floods at low lying areas.

If roads were narrower like bicycle lanes, then the ground is able to absorb more water and support many more trees (whose roots grow under the narrower bicycle / foot path) thus release less water into drains and thus prevent flooding at lower ground flood prone areas. Roads also prevent the growth of trees since they have all to be designed to carry very high payloads like trailers and petrol etc tankers. This means that the ground below roads cannot sustain any plant life like plant roots and trees have to be constantly and severely pruned to prevent falling branches hitting moving traffic or toppling over during thunderstorm. The sparse plant life causes significant soil erosion and the exposed clay surfaces cannot absorb much rain resulting in severe flooding down stream as well.

The lack of tree cover over roads (especially expressways etc) results in significant urban heating effect. This perpetuates more people to use air-conditioning which perpetuates even more urban heating effect. Cycling is shunned due to lack of tree shelter along paths flanked by main roads (space occupied by deep drains) as well as high temperature caused by black roads absorbing significant midday heat. People depend on public transport like buses to get around, even though cycling would otherwise have been a perfectly fine option (temperature at least 6degC lower) , but for the disammenities caused by an extensive area set aside for use as roads.

LTA has thus neglegently omitted the other very pertinent considerations why ERP prices are currently 67% discounted and should make strong efforts to be just and equitable and INCREASE all ERP charges to 3x the current ERP prices to equitably and appropriately pay for PUB's flood prevention measures and the public transportation subsidies and hospital medical bills caused by citizens who are unable to obtain sufficient exercise by cycling or walking more (unhealthy sedentary lifestyle) as well as the public transportation subsidies to ferry people who otherwise would have transported themselves on PMD/ bicycle.

Reference :
PUB pumps in $500m more to keep floods at bay (December 2017): https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/p...ods-at-bay

Sedentary lifestyle amongst citizens makes Singapore the #2 diabetes capital of the first world: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/h...-diabetics


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