SINGAPORE: Knowledge from on-board models (OBUs) helped the Land Transport Authority (LTA) detect 60 cases of suspicious exercise involving 31 Malaysian cross-border taxis between Could and July.
Ms Solar Xueling, Senior Minister of State for Transport, mentioned in a Fb submit on Monday (Sep 28) that the drivers concerned have been notified of their offences and reminded of the related penalties.
LTA will start formal enforcement motion towards offenders from September, she added.
OBUs are units put in in automobiles as a part of the islandwide satellite-based Digital Highway Pricing (ERP) 2 system, which makes use of satellite tv for pc know-how as an alternative of bodily gantries to find out a automobile’s location.
Ms Solar mentioned that though ERP 2 is designed primarily for funds and fees, it will additionally improve LTA’s means to handle visitors throughout Singapore and provides the authority higher instruments to detect and implement towards vehicle-related offences, together with the supply of unlawful cross-border taxi providers.
“We’ll proceed working with the related authorities to safeguard the livelihoods of our native taxi and private-hire drivers, and guarantee protected cross-border journeys for our commuters,” she added.
CNA has reached out to LTA for extra info, together with particulars on the formal enforcement motion and whether or not it has a timeline for increasing the usage of ERP 2 knowledge to implement towards different offences.
LTA introduced earlier on Monday that it was rolling out new ERP 2 street markings and indicators from October, forward of the system’s launch on Jan 1, 2027.
The authority additionally mentioned that each one ERP 2 knowledge could be accessed and used for authorised functions, with strict safeguards governing its assortment, use and safety.
ERP 2 DATA FOR ENFORCEMENT
In February, then-Performing Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow mentioned that LTA would use vehicle-specific ERP 2 knowledge just for cost, fees and enforcement, together with the non-payment of ERP fees and cross-border taxi enforcement.
Mr Siow additionally mentioned on the time that Malaysian taxis could be required to put in OBUs as a result of the units have been essential for the authorities to trace the automobiles and implement towards them, if wanted, whereas they have been in Singapore.