Singapore will slash road toll charges starting Monday in response to low traffic caused by people staying home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Motorists traveling through electronic tollgates in parts of downtown Singapore and many expressways will not have to pay at all, while some will see reduced charges at certain times. Entering the Orchard, Bugis-Marina Centre, and Shenton Way-Chinatown areas will be free.
“In recent weeks, the Government has imposed COVID-19 safe distancing measures and discouraged non-essential travel. For workers, we are promoting tele-commuting and staggered working hours, to reduce peak hour demand on public transport. With Singaporeans responding to these measures, road traffic volume in many parts of Singapore has swiftly declined,” the Land Transport Authority, or LTA, announced today.
The authority moved up its regular, quarterly toll review and suspended its “regular review process and timelines” due to the “current exceptional circumstances.”
Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing system is a congestion pricing scheme meant to help manage high-traffic volume. But traffic has declined in recent weeks as more people stay home due to COVID-19, which as of Tuesday morning had officially killed three and infected 879 in Singapore.
As part of the changes, road toll charges will also be waived at all times on the Bukit Timah Expressway, two toll gantries on the Ayer Rajah Expressway and the East Coast Parkway, as well as portions of the Pan Island Expressway.
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