We thank Madam Loretta Lee Mui Joo for her feedback to ‘Review ERP hours in shopping belt’ (The Straits Times, 29 November).

Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is implemented to reduce traffic congestion. As Orchard Road is primarily a commercial district, traffic demand is high even after office hours. It is therefore necessary to implement ERP in the Orchard cordon up to 8pm during weekdays and Saturdays to maintain the flow of traffic. With the implementation of ERP, we have been able to keep traffic conditions on roads in the Orchard cordon flowing within the optimal range of between 20km/h and 30km/h. Severely congested roads would be bad for restaurants and shops in the area.

Today, Orchard Road is already served by several MRT lines and stations, as well as many bus services. Motorists who do not wish to pay ERP during operating hours can consider taking public transport.

We thank Madam Lee for the opportunity to clarify.

Chin Kian Keong (Dr)
Group Director
Transportation & Road Operations
Land Transport Authority