Singaporeans embrace, while New Yorkers screw...

...the ERP.

As Monday came, 5 of the upcoming 16 gantries were turned on. The new ERP gantries at Upper Bukit Timah Road, Upper Boon Keng Road, Geylang Bahru, Toa Payoh and Kallang Bahru began their money collecting duties, as Singaporeans have to deal with the added woes espcially at Toa Payoh. Businesses at the heartland will have to deal with the expected drop in traffic amidst the global rising cost of commodities, and the impending credit crunch -aka recession. This is just one of nicely timed addition/plus "+" sign in our daily costs, inflation, CPI index that our government policies has chosen to add on to and expect us, the prosperous repressed citizens to embrace.

This term "prosperous repressed citizens" was introduced to me while I was reading an English translated edition of the local papers on board a Japanese airline. It was in brief summary with relation to our Singapore elections 2 terms back - maybe the translation sucked, they probably used some online translator service, actual term is probably subdued, cowed, submissive, passive, subservient, meek, docile, compliant, obedient. (Strangly, it seems easier to find alternative words for repress than suck)

Anyway, for those who do not know what is the use of these electronic road pricing (ERP) “checkpoints-aka gantries”, they are the government's "creative" efforts to keep Singapore's roads moving smoothly. This creative method is like most "whine and fine" schemes we have, they deduct a certain amount of $ as the vehicles passes through these checkpoints. It is mandatory for all vehicles in Singapore to be fitted with Identification Units (IUs).

So come November, we would have a total of 71 gantries performing their money deducting functions on pitiful road users (having to deal already with the world's 3rd priciest petrol - drivers, please check out this interesting post by Static Variable, I bet you would be fuming after reading it).

In other noteworthy news, my sister who is working in New York but unfortunately not driving, has democratic neighbors who gave a huge thumbs finger UP to the planned congestion pricing fee. The reason cited was that plan was flawed as the underfunded mass transit would not be able to cope with an increase in commuters. Well Singaporeans probably do not have to worry about the public service being underfunded! They will just simply passed on the costs to the commuters, even as we try to minimise service disruptions and suicides.