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SINGAPORE – The public’s response is that the on-board unit (OBU) to be installed in the vehicles next year is too bulky, but the Minister of State for Transport, Amy Khor, said on Monday (October 5) that the authorities will go ahead with the device. , even as they continue to explore how to improve it.
One reason is that the Land Transportation Authority (LTA) is contractually bound to the OBU design after awarding the tender in 2016, so it cannot make modifications without incurring additional costs.
However, the LTA will offer vehicle owners some options to collect feedback on, for example, what will be displayed on the OBU touch screen.
“For example, the screen can be kept black most of the time and only shows the ERP charges paid when a transaction is made,” he said in Parliament.
“As a possible future upgrade, LTA is also looking into whether the information from the OBU can be sent to our smartphones, which can then be used as a display screen.”
Dr. Khor was responding to some MPs, including Mr. Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) and Mr. Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), who had indicated that the larger screen of the new OBU could be a distraction for drivers and had asked if the OBU could be replaced by smartphones.
Earlier, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung had said that the LTA could, via screens, alert motorists to important traffic-related information.
The LTA also said the displays could show nearby school zone locations, but skeptical motorists noted that that would simply replicate the functions of the existing navigation panels on many new vehicles.
The new OBU for automobiles, which will be installed from the second half of next year, comprises an antenna, a touch screen that will be installed near the windshield and a processing unit that will be installed under the dash.
It will be compatible with the new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system to be activated in mid-2023, to replace the existing ERP infrastructure, which has been in operation for 22 years.
Dr. Khor said that today’s ERP system is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain, so “there is an urgency, a need to implement next-generation ERP” without introducing any further changes that may disrupt the line of business. weather.
“So what we want is to ensure a hassle-free installation of the next-gen ERP, and to do this, the display unit will be (first) a standard issue.
“We also need time to work with the contractors and consultants to develop the program and to be able to send specific OBU data to the mobile app.”
In what one deputy described as a “show and tell,” Dr. Khor showed a model of the unit in the current vehicle (UI) and the new OBU to show that the new unit is only slightly larger.
The OBU display unit measures 15cm x 8cm x 2cm, while the UI measures 12cm x 8cm x 3cm.
However, concerns remain that the way the units are mounted to the windshield could affect the visibility of drivers.
Dr. Khor said the LTA is consulting with motor vehicle dealers and workshops to make sure the windshield blockage is “minimal” and the OBU can be folded down.
Aside from time constraints, he cited data security reasons for choosing OBU over mobile phones.
He said that the ERP system will have the data of more than a million drivers and that OBUs have more security functions than mobile phones.
In order for mobile phones to constantly function as a substitute, motorists will also need to remember to carry their smartphone, ensure that it is sufficiently charged and connected to a cellular network, and that the ERP payment application is started throughout the journey.
“There are likely to be numerous unintended and inconvenient failed transactions,” he added.
Opposition MP He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) asked what the specifications of the tender were that led us to “be bound by the design that we committed to four years ago, rather than allowing flexibility to update that as we went along. “.
He asked if future tenders should allow more room for public consultation and design adjustments, especially since technology is advancing so rapidly these days.
Dr. Khor said she did not have contract details, but that all contracts require certain specifications to be submitted in order for contractors or bidders to have “some certainty.”
“Within those limits … there is room for consultation,” he said.
He noted that OBU’s own contractors have conducted internal consultations. The ministry also contracted Nanyang Technological University to conduct a study on the display’s characteristics, as well as convened two independent reviews on the unit’s security features.
“It is a unique project. It is an international tender and there is no benchmark. Therefore, we take a little time,” he said.
The first OBU will be free for Singapore-registered vehicles and more details on its installation will be given later.
The LTA will announce more information about the price and warranty of the device closer to the OBU launch date.
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