I refer to the report “ERP: More downs than ups” (Straits Times, Nov 16).

8 times up, 11 times down

It states that “Believe it or not, Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges have been lowered more times than they were raised. Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said ERP rates have been cut 11 times but hiked eight times over the past two years”.

This is perhaps another classic example of a reply in Parliament that never answer the question.

ERP rate up or down?

Clearly, the purpose of the question was to ask whether ERP rates have gone up or down, and not how many times it has gone up or down?

Why pick only the last two years to come to the conclusion that ERP came down more times than when when they went up?

Why not tell us for the last year, last three years, etc?

You see, one can always cherry pick a particularly period to come to a desired conclusion.

So, at the end of the 11 times down and eight times up, are the final ERP rates up or down?

ERP aim is not to raise revenue?

As to “But he turned down a call for road taxes to be cut in respect of the revenues generated from the ERP as the aim of road pricing is to manage congestion, not raise revenue”, I find this reply to be really illogical, because how can “it is not the aim of ERP to raise revenue” be used as the reason for not reducing road tax?

ERP revenue up or down?

Precisely, if this is the reason, shouldn’t road tax be reduced if ERP revenue is up?

Of course, the reply also did not say whether the revenue from ERP has gone up or not, and if so by how much?

Reduce road tax?

Since ERP is to help reduce congestion, how does maintaining road taxes at their current level reduce congestion?

COE revenue?

Not to mention that the revenue from the recent huge COE increase, must be astronomical.

Make data public?

Also, it is about time that the methodology of the ERP pricing and traffic speed mechanism, and the data collected, be made public so that we can help to scrutinise and see how the system may be improved.

Wrong KPI?

Otherwise, what incentive is there to reduce congestion, when more congestion means more revenue?

Perhaps the LTA should be fined or penalised in some other way, when congestion increases, because having the right Key Performance Indicator (KPI) may encourage them to work harder and come up with more creative solutions.

Leong Sze Hian

Act 1 of “Parliament: Replies that never answer the question?” is here