More gantries and increase in rates?

"...Five new ERP gantries along the Singapore River will also be activated on July 7. Traffic in the CBD is slowing down, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

So in January, as part of its Master Plan, the LTA came up with a new way to measure speed. It is called the 85th percentile method - this is when motorists experience smooth traffic at least 85 percent of the time on roads that have ERP gantries.

Another new LTA initiative is for bigger ERP rate increases because, LTA said, motorists are less sensitive to the existing rate structure.

In addition, ERP operating hours in the CBD will be extended by one hour on weekdays - from 7pm to 8pm - while gantries in the Orchard Road cordon will start an hour earlier on Saturdays, at 11am..... "

Retrieved on 18 June 2008, 1853hrs from, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/354705/1/.html

I've been whining quite a bit with regard to the above mentioned issue. Yes, I reckon that the measures taken will no doubt reduce the amount of traffic in CBD in the short run. But is this Master Plan just about increasing the amount of gantries and raising the ERP rates? I seriously hope not.

Surely this isn't the best way to tackle the problem in the long run. Although I would foresee the total number of ERP gantries surpassing the 100 mark soon. I'm not even trying to address this issue using economics. If people are not very sensitive about the current rates, sooner or later, they will be accustomed to the "already raised a million times rate". Don't tell me it will soon cost $25 to enter a gantry? And maybe by then, only CEOs can afford to drive into the CBD.

Granted that the LTA is trying its best to improve on the public transport system, but the public transport system can never replace the ownership of a car. I for one, would definitely buy a car once I'm financially stable. It's not the prestige, but the convenience and the ability to take control of the situation, instead of waiting for 30mins and there is still no bus, or wait 10mins for a train to not be able to board it and have to wait for another 5 trains.

I have no solutions to the above problem, so I shall not grumble too much. But I certainly hope the Master Plan would really be masterly enough to not become a slave of its own executions. Although I think it will really be a big challenge.