Latest news with #OBU
Straits Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Forum: Safety and reliability top priorities in OBU installation
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox We refer to Mr Ong Kok Soon's letter ' Advantages of ERP onboard units must not come at expense of safety or reliability ' (Aug 4). Safety and reliability are top priorities in the roll-out of the on-board units (OBUs) in ERP 2.0. To date, we have successfully installed OBUs in more than 650,000 vehicles, or about 65 per cent of all vehicles in Singapore. All installations are carried out by trained technicians in authorised workshops. To uphold consistent standards, the Land Transport Authority conducts regular audits of these authorised workshops and follows up on feedback received. As with any large-scale roll-out, some vehicles may also experience issues that require follow-up attention. When installed according to specifications, the OBUs do not interfere with vehicle systems. Investigations have also confirmed that OBUs were not the cause of any reported vehicle fires. Some vehicle owners have encountered issues such as unresponsive displays or detection problems at carparks and gantries, which may be due to hardware or device malfunctions. Vehicle owners who face issues should return to the workshop that installed their OBU. Unauthorised tampering with the OBU's wiring or placement were also found to affect OBU operations and functions. Vehicle owners are advised against adjusting the OBU positioning or wiring on their own, as this may affect its functionality and void its warranty. The recommended mounting position of the touchscreen display was developed in consultation with the motor industry and research by the Nanyang Technological University. This included psychophysical and rigorous eye-tracking studies to ensure that drivers' vision is not obstructed. Vehicle owners can also discuss preferred mounting positions with installers, fold down the screen, or choose to display information on their smartphones instead of the display unit. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump seizes control of Washington police, deploys National Guard Business Lower-wage retail workers to receive up to 6% pay bump from Sept 1 Singapore Keppel to sell M1's telco business to Simba for $1.43b, says deal expected to benefit consumers Singapore ST Explains: Who owns Simba, the company that is buying M1? Singapore Telco price undercutting expected to subside after sale of M1 to Simba: Analysts Singapore ST Explains: What is Vers and which HDB estates could it be rolled out in? Singapore For Vers to work, compensation should account for varied needs of HDB flat owners: Observers Singapore At least $2m lost in S'pore to govt official impersonation scams involving cryptocurrency in Q1 To enhance safety, the touchscreen operates only when the vehicle is stationary or moving at less than 15kmh. Owners can also adjust the sound and brightness of the touchscreen display to their preference. We recognise that vehicle owners may need time to adapt when they install the new device. We thank owners for their support as we continue with OBU installations and introduce new features to improve driving experience. Vehicle owners can contact our ERP 2.0 Call Assist Service at 6377-2255 for any clarifications. Lam Wee Shann Deputy Chief Executive (Technology) Land Transport Authority
Straits Times
03-08-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Forum: Advantages of ERP onboard units must not come at expense of safety or reliability
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox I wish to raise important concerns regarding the installation and operation of on-board units (OBUs) under the ERP 2.0 system, which affect safety, usability and regulatory compliance. Installing OBUs involves wiring in vehicles. Industry feedback indicates that some installers reuse existing wiring while others opt for new wiring, which is ideal but more expensive. This disparity raises safety risks including electrical faults, short circuits and potential fire hazards. Furthermore, radio frequencies in certain vehicle systems may experience interference or temporary malfunction during OBU operation. Vehicle owners, being laypersons, have limited means to verify the quality of installation, which can result in uncertainty and inconvenience. It was reported that around 5,400 vehicles – or 1.8 per cent of the nearly 300,000 OBUs installed since November 2023 – have encountered problems such as unresponsive devices, wiring faults and frozen displays ( Issues reported in 1.8% of cars with ERP on-board unit installed, or 5,400 out of 300k ; June 10). Users commonly report difficulties entering carparks or passing ERP gantries, which often need lengthy follow-up visits for troubleshooting. Another concern is the placement of OBU components near or on the windscreen, which can create blind spots and reduce driver visibility. Obstruction laws in some countries prohibit devices from being mounted on the windscreen. It would be prudent for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to clarify Singapore's position on this matter and confirm that field-of-vision assessments align with international standards. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore No plans to fully liberalise cross-border ride-hailing services between Singapore and Johor: LTA Singapore LTA, Singapore bus operators reviewing Malaysia's request to start services from JB at 4am World Trump is winning his trade war, but Americans will pay the price Singapore President Tharman meets migrant workers who saved driver of car that fell into sinkhole Singapore Singapore must stay socially progressive while conserving its cultures: President Tharman Sport A 'wake-up call': National coach Gary Tan on Singapore swimmers' performances at WCH 2025 Opinion The charm – and drawbacks – of living in a time warp in Singapore Life KPop Demon Hunters to get sequels, expanded universe to include musical, live-action remake While OBUs bring clear benefits, including more flexible ERP charging, improved traffic data, and prospects for smart mobility, these advantages must not come at the expense of safety or reliability. Since it is often difficult to definitively link incidents like fires to installation negligence, transparency through independent investigations and audits is essential to maintain public trust. LTA has stated that OBUs comply with global standards and can withstand Singapore's climate when installed correctly. However, reports of freezing displays, battery drain and unreliable gantry detection persist, underscoring the need for ongoing vigilance. Strengthening installation protocols, providing clear guidelines on mounting, and ensuring transparent oversight will bolster public confidence in the ERP 2.0 system and its safety. Ong Kok Soon
New Paper
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- New Paper
Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project
Paying for roadside parking might become automatic in the future, if a planned trial to install sensors on the ground goes well. These sensors embedded in the ground would be able to detect when a car drives into or leaves a roadside parking space, and communicate with the vehicle's on-board unit (OBU) via Bluetooth technology. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called a tender on May 6 for proposals to study the effectiveness of such a system. The agency told The Straits Times on May 29 that the study aims to test the viability of using Bluetooth communications to facilitate automated payment for roadside parking to make it more convenient for motorists. These sensors would be flat and easily driven over by vehicles. Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. This URA study is separate from other plans by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to also use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. This feature, which the LTA intends to roll out when most vehicles have OBUs fitted, will require motorists to use the OBU's touchscreen display to start the parking session. The parking session ends automatically when the vehicle is driven out of the parking space. LTA said that it will "work with URA to review the outcome of this study in assessing any future deployment plans". Across the island, URA manages approximately 13,000 roadside parking spaces. For this trial, URA intends to select a contractor and conduct a reliability test at Changi Beach Car Park 5 from October 2025 to July 2026. It also intends to carry out an operational pilot at carparks in Chinatown, Keong Saik and Bukit Timah from August 2026 to July 2027. According to tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz, the 10-month reliability test will need to be conducted on four vehicle types: passenger sedans, light goods vehicles such as lorries, heavy vehicles such as prime movers, as well as buses with 23 or more seats. URA did not comment on why it excluded motorcycles from the trial. For the 12-month operational pilot, the authority noted that the three carpark locations were chosen because it is possible to put in the sensors at these places for the trial while having them remain accessible to motorists. "We do not expect any disruptions to parking operations," said the URA spokesperson. ST understands that there will be no automated payments triggered in the study. The tender closes at 4pm on Aug 21, and the contract will be awarded by October 2025. Asked about when it hopes to roll out these parking sensors on a wider scale, URA said it will review the outcome of the study and other parallel initiatives in assessing future deployment plans. Motorists and operators whom ST spoke to mostly welcomed this new initiative, although some raised concerns. Mr Davidson Chua, 25, said that such a system could "remove the hassle" of manually starting a carpark session when he is in a rush. The business co-founder also hopes that the system would be able to inform motorists of the availability of parking spaces in the area. But Mr Chua noted that some motorists may be unhappy with this new initiative, as they can no longer "game the system" by avoiding payments whenever they can. Mr Lim Kian Chin, the managing director of Allied Container Group, a firm with a fleet of more than 80 lorries and prime movers, said that data collected from these sensors may improve land resource planning as the agency will know how well used parking spaces are and decide how best to use the available space. But Mr Lim, who is also chairman of the Singapore Transport Association, said that it may be troublesome for truck and lorry drivers who often temporarily park their vehicles at roadside parking spaces to run quick errands, such as delivering goods to the service counter of a building. As at June, over 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with new OBU, which is part of the new satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system known as ERP 2.0. These OBUs are capable of determining a vehicle's location and processing ERP charges. They can provide motorists with more information like real-time traffic alerts of road closures and accidents. The installation of the new OBUs in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026.
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Motorists can now get flash flood alerts on ERP on-board unit
The new feature adds to other real-time information available on the OBU. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG Motorists can now get flash flood alerts on ERP on-board unit SINGAPORE - Motorists who have the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) on-board units (OBUs) in their vehicles will now receive alerts about flash floods when approaching or travelling along affected roads. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced this in a Facebook post on June 30, adding that this feature will allow motorists to 'take alternative routes'. The new feature adds to other real-time information available on the OBU, including parking availability in certain areas, bus lane operations and alerts on speed cameras. Motorists said they welcome the new feature. 'I think it'll be pretty helpful information. I'll try to avoid that road if I see such warnings. Since it's so convenient to look at the OBU screen while driving, any information it can provide to me is an added bonus,' account manager Jerome Lim, 35, told The Straits Times . Mr Matthew Tan, 24, an executive, said: 'It will be good to have alerts that warn me of a flash flood, especially if I'm driving on my normal route without using GPS apps. I hope that the alerts will sound out early enough so I can make the necessary detours.' Flood alerts are also available on the myENV app and PUB's Flood Alerts Telegram channel. The next-generation satellite-based ERP system that comes with the OBU is also capable of charging motorists based on distance travelled. In December, then Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said that the authorities are still at a very early stage of looking at different possible distance-based charging models. The Urban Redevelopment Authority and LTA have plans to use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. LTA had previously said that as at June, more than 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with OBUs. This means the installation exercise has crossed the halfway mark towards equipping the entire vehicle population of around one million units with OBUs by 2026. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- CNA
Motorists to get flood alerts from ERP 2.0 on-board units
SINGAPORE: Motorists using the ERP 2.0 on-board unit (OBU) will receive real-time alerts when travelling or approaching areas affected by flash floods, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post on Monday (Jun 30). "During intense downpours, our canals and drains may be temporarily overwhelmed, leading to flash floods. While these typically subside within an hour, motorists should avoid flooded areas and use alternative route," LTA said. The new feature is part of a broader effort to enhance the functionality of the ERP 2.0 system. Future updates include allowing motorists to pay for missed ERP charges directly via the OBU display, LTA said previously. In time, motorists will also be able to pay for checkpoint tolls and off-peak car licences using the OBU, following the completion of the ongoing nationwide installation exercise. LTA is also working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to enable Roadside Electronic Parking System payments via the OBU. 'We seek motorists' understanding and patience on the rollout of this large-scale operation, as we continue to troubleshoot user issues for motorists and bring new features to the OBU,' said an LTA spokesperson. FEWER ISSUES REPORTED WITH OBU INSTALLATIONS The rate of cars requiring workshop follow-ups for ERP 2.0-related issues has declined, LTA said in response to CNA queries. The proportion of affected cars dropped from an average of 1.8 per cent in November 2023 to about 1.3 per cent in May 2025 - even as installation volumes increased. To date, more than 500,000 vehicles - including roughly 300,000 cars - have been equipped with the OBU. While the most common problems relate to wiring - owing to the varying internal configurations of different car models - hardware issues, device faults or suspected tampering of wiring and components have also been reported. 'As with any large-scale rollout, some vehicles may experience issues that require follow-up checks," LTA said. "For such cases, motorists are advised to return to the workshop that carried out their installation, as they would have the necessary records for more effective troubleshooting.' Mr Ong Wei Shiong, head of operations and training at Indeco Engineers, a workshop that does OBU installations, said he has come across cases where motorists tried to reposition the OBU themselves. 'The initial setting of the OBU when the technician runs through the installation is very important,' he said. 'Any shifting of the OBU should only be done by trained personnel.' Another frequently reported issue involves car park gantries failing to detect the OBU. LTA advised motorists to allow time for the EPS system to connect and to ensure proper vehicle alignment with the gantry antenna. Motorists can now book OBU installation appointments directly with authorised workshops, without needing to wait for an official LTA notification or use the LTA booking portal. Installation typically takes two to four hours, depending on vehicle make and condition. Each OBU comes with a five-year warranty and motorists can return to the same workshop if there are any issues post-installation. Encouraging others to upgrade, Mr Ong said: "As a driver, I have found it extremely useful. The system is smart and prompts me when I need to look out for a silver zone, I get real-time traffic updates when I'm travelling on the expressway, among other features.'
