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also The Straits Times 28 Jul 05 No firm decision yet on N-S highway Channel NewsAsia 27 Jul 05 No need for N-S highway if evening ERP charges ease CTE jam By Lee Ching Yee/Julia Ng SINGAPORE : From August 1, motorists heading north on the Central Expressway between 6pm and 8pm must pay evening Electronic Road Pricing charges. Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said if the new ERP charges could ease congestion on the CTE, Singapore would not need the proposed North-South Expressway. There are presently eight expressways serving Singapore motorists, and the ninth - the Kallang Paya Lebar Expressway - would be ready in 2008. And more expressways will be built, depending on the population growth. Mr Yeo said the Government was still assessing whether there was a need to build a North-South expressway. This is because the project is not only expensive, but also complicated as it will cut through several nature reserves. "The North-South Expressway - we have got no timeline for that yet. Maybe it will be built in the next 10 years, maybe not. Depends very much on the demand, and the cost of the system. "The KPE costs us quite a few billion dollars. I think the North-South Expressway have to run through all these sensitive areas, will cost us even more." Mr Yeo said both Singapore's road and rail network had surpassed their original targets as set out in the Land Transport Authority's World-Class Transport System White Paper. Between 1996 and 2000, 225 kilometres of lane-miles were planned. But double that distance has been built and at a lower cost than the $1.1 billion original estimates. Mr Yeo said: "Singapore is actually quite densely built up, in terms of road. Today the road space is 12 per cent of our total land area. Our residential usage only takes up 13 per cent. So actually road space takes up as much space as our homes. So there is a limit to how much more we can grow." But he said in time, Singapore's public transport system would be as extensive as those in London and Paris. The MRT Circle Line is expected to be running by 2010. Two new MRT lines would also link Marine Parade with Bukit Timah. Mr Yeo said: "I think give us another 20 to 25 years, I think the density of train stations in the city centre would be as good as London, because by that time I would expect that we would have two additional new lines built." And when the railway network is complete, Singaporeans will be able to take an MRT train from the City to any corner of the island. - CNA/de The Straits Times 28 Jul 05 No firm decision yet on N-S highway IT'S still not a done deal whether the North-South Expressway will be built. The decider? Just how effective the new evening Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges on the Central Expressway (CTE) will be in reducing congestion. The charges kick in next month and will affect motorists heading north on the CTE between 6pm and 8pm. Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said on TV news yesterday that if the evening ERP charges ease congestion on the CTE, there won't be a need for the proposed highway, which was intended to run almost parallel to the CTE to deal with the daily congestion. 'Maybe it will be built in the next 10 years, maybe not,' Mr Yeo said. The Government will not rush into the project as it is not only expensive but also complicated, as it would mean having to cut through several nature reserves. 'The Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) cost us quite a few billion dollars. I think the North-South Expressway has to run through all these sensitive areas and will cost us even more.' A priority for the Transport Ministry right now is to complete the KPE, as it will help alleviate the CTE's congestion. And with an eye to the future, Mr Yeo said Singapore's public transport system would be as extensive as those in London and Paris once the MRT Circle Line opens. It is expected to be running by 2010. There will also be two new MRT lines linking Marine Parade with Bukit Timah. Once complete, the network will enable people to take an MRT train from the city centre to any corner of the island. links Related articles on Singapore: general environmental issues |
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