INSTEAD of introducing new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges along the Singapore River, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) should look at abolishing the evening taxi surcharge in the city.
Since the implementation of the evening city surcharge, congestion in the city has worsened because many taxis enter the city to pick up passengers who leave their offices in the evening.
Once they are in the city,many taxis would cruise around empty or form long queues at taxi stands, especially in the Raffles Place and Shenton Way areas.
They hope to pick up a passenger in the city so that they can earn the $3 evening surcharge.
Some even resort to waiting illegally by the side of the roads.
The congestion in the city is also made worse by motorists who stop their cars indiscriminately along narrow lanes to wait for their passengers.
Along Battery Road, Chulia Street, Market Street and Phillip Street which are all narrow roads with only two lanes the taxi queues and waiting cars practically take one entire lane.
However, I see hardly any enforcement action from the LTA or the traffic police since the new no-stopping rules were implemented.
The new ERP charge at Fullerton Road will only divert traffic towards Battery Road and worsen the congestion there.
Already, office workers are finding it difficult to leave the area because of the congestion.
The LTA should, therefore, delay the ERP implementation until it finds a better solution.
As for the evening city surcharge for taxis, it should be abolished immediately. This would make taxis get out of the city after they have dropped off their passengers, instead of cruising around empty and contributing to the congestion.
At the same time, tough and constant enforcement actions should be taken against motorists who stop indiscriminately along narrow lanes or congested roads. -myp
