Electronic Rip Pockets
Firstly, being a student, I want to WISH ALL TEACHERS A HAPPY TEACHERS DAY!
Back to my main topic, ERPs. Crappiest system in the world. Ever since Singapore switched to this technology (first in the world to do so), the government has been adding these gantries all over the island. Some time later, you may even see it right at the carpark of your house (some already do). So everytime you drive you get charged. How smart. I mean, they are the only government in the world which can turn brand new cars into scrap metal.
The reason for all the gantries as the government put it, “it’s obvious”. Nonsense. Does it really help ease traffic? No. What reports do you have to prove it works? Lesser cars? Are you using the theory ‘all else equals’? If you are, then stop making false statistics. All the ERP gantries just help the government make more money. And what is the money used for? Repairing the roads? Building more highways? All no. They are used to make the parts of the road meant for the IMF members - who have no relations to Singapore in the road users point of view - look pretty.
How can large recently developed cities like Shanghai cope with the traffic, and little Singapore here with lots of tax money from the roads not able to?
The government said: Try to get out earlier and use the roads during non peak periods so that you won’t be charged. The charge is to ease traffic during peak periods. Use the public transport. Mole says: Bullshit!
Firstly, we pay so much money to use the bloody roads and now you tell us we have to pay even more just to use it at certain times? What nonsense? You think Singaporeans lead the life that Australians lead? You think we have so much time? You think this country is a village? What nonsense! Singaporeans are already so short of time because we have to work so hard to pay so much nonsense taxes and now you ask us to adjust our times so you can save money on building more roads, at the same time earn more money. At a fast paced society like Singapore, it is impossible to change the schedules. Time is so packed. Try telling all the employers they are supposed to allow some workers to get to work early and go home early. “Boss! I am at work at 6am when all our customers are sleeping! Can I go home at 3pm while my colleagues are busy serving customers?” Then, there are also the people in the service sector. Are they supposed to break during the peak periods? No. So, there is actually no change in traffic conditions at all. LTA is just making more and more money.
What about using public transport? What crap. The stupid waiting time and the crowded public transport totally puts people off. Same for the service sectors. They can’t be taking public transport to their destinations! You must be joking to even think of that.
All in all, the excuses of having ERP does not make sense unless the government says: We are having ERPs so we can make more revenue.