SINGAPORE: Installing the ERP 2.0 card reader on the driver’s side could come with challenges such as less leg space and difficulties in extending electrical wires, depending on the make of the car.
This is what mechanics and an engineering expert that CNA spoke to said of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) announcement last week, which made clear that car owners can choose to install the unit at the driver's or passenger's side.
Installation of the units, for Singapore's new Electronic Road Pricing system known as ERP 2.0, started last November. More than 18,000 vehicles have been fitted with the card readers – also called the processing units – so far.
The unit holds payment cards, such as the NETS FlashPay card, NETS Motoring Card and EZ-Link Motoring Card, which drivers use to pay for ERP or parking charges.
When the installation exercise started, the front passenger's footwell was recommended as the default position for the card reader. But this led to complaints that drivers found it difficult to remove or insert their card.
On Mar 28, LTA said drivers can choose where to install the unit, without specifying options, subject to technical feasibility. It clarified in its April announcement that the driver's footwell is an option.
A mechanic told CNA that allowing car owners to discuss with their workshop which side to put the card reader on is a “good move”.
He expects that most of the customers at his workshop, located at industrial building Synergy @ Kaki Bukit, will want the unit to be installed on the driver’s side for easy access.
He said: “Now that drivers know they can place their processing unit on the passenger or the driver's side, why would they put their unit on the passenger's side?”
He was among three mechanics that CNA spoke to at car workshops at Synergy @ Kaki Bukit.
They were from workshops that have been licensed by LTA to carry out the installation of the on-board unit (OBU) of the new ERP system. All spoke to CNA on the condition that they and their workshops were not identified.
Another mechanic said that while customers would likely prefer having the card reader on the driver's side, installing it there comes with its challenges.
For one, not all cars have their electrical control unit, which the card reader has to be connected to, on the driver's side of the car.
For some cars, the electrical control unit is on the passenger's side. This would make it more difficult for the mechanic to install the card reader on the driver's side.
“We have to take out the control panels of the car, and install the wire so that it runs through the middle of the car,” he said.
There are also other considerations such as the "curves" at the footwell area. If the car has too many curves, it may be difficult to fix the card reader there and it may fall off.
He told CNA that many mechanics have run into this issue of the card reader falling off or not functioning because of improper installation.
LTA recommends installing the ERP 2.0 processing unit at either the driver’s or the front passenger’s footwell. (Photos: LTA)
Another consideration is the space available in the driver's footwell.
“For Japanese cars, when the footwell is small, a driver may knock his leg on it when driving, so that’s another consideration,” he said.
Another mechanic from a different workshop said many customers do not realise that the card reader does not need to be near the driver.
“Honestly, it is common sense that the card does not need to be taken out to be topped up. And you can also press a button to deactivate the card,” he said.
He was referring to the auto top-up function, where drivers do not need to remove their card from the processing unit when the balance is low, as well as a new feature where drivers can press a button on the touchscreen display to deactivate the card.
However, his biggest gripe was that the previous ERP system had a largely standardised installation process for all cars, but ERP 2.0 units have to be installed on a “case by case” basis, which will mean more work to discuss the specifications with each driver.
CNA also visited the VICOM inspection centre at Kaki Bukit to speak to mechanics installing the new ERP units, but they said they were not authorised to answer media queries.
Motorists who opt out of installing the touchscreen display (right) can still access key on-board unit information via compatible smartphone apps. (Photo: CNA/Hanidah Amin)
An engineering expert echoed what the mechanics said – that different car models have different layouts, and this could cause challenges when installing the ERP 2.0 units.
“Existing wiring and installed devices, such as cameras and safety devices, may also constrain the installation,” said Associate Professor Zhou Yi from the Engineering Cluster at the Singapore Institute of Technology.
He added that it may be more effective for the authorities to work directly with car manufacturers or authorised car dealer workshops “so that they can better standardise the installations towards their models”.
Some drivers have also questioned why the OBU for cars comes in three separate pieces unlike that for motorcycles, which have a single-piece OBU similar to the in-vehicle unit (IU) of the old ERP system.
LTA has said that the temperature in the footwell area of an enclosed car is significantly lower than the temperature at the dashboard, and that is why the OBU antenna has to be separated from the card reader.
Assoc Prof Zhou added that ERP 2.0’s screen-based OBU is more sensitive to the sun’s heat due to its electronics.
“It is expected to have a shorter lifespan if exposed to the sun for too long unless it is specifically designed for such a purpose.”
While the current system needs three units, it is possible to “further explore whether there can be alternative solutions such as ERP2.1, ERP2.2”, he added.
For instance, payments could be account-based rather than card-based. This would mean doing away with cards and charges going directly to the registered owner of the car.
“This option should be feasible once we can standardise car park payments into the same account system,” he said.
Assoc Prof Zhou added that ERP 2.0 information can also be displayed on built-in car screens.
“It can be feasible, especially for electric vehicles that adopt a more open system,” he said.
Last October, LTA said car owners can opt out of installing the touchscreen display and use a mobile application on their phone instead.
All new vehicles registered from May 1 will come with the ERP 2.0 unit already installed. Installation for existing motorcycles also started on the same day, but will start at a later date for existing cars.
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This is what mechanics and an engineering expert that CNA spoke to said of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) announcement last week, which made clear that car owners can choose to install the unit at the driver's or passenger's side.
Installation of the units, for Singapore's new Electronic Road Pricing system known as ERP 2.0, started last November. More than 18,000 vehicles have been fitted with the card readers – also called the processing units – so far.
The unit holds payment cards, such as the NETS FlashPay card, NETS Motoring Card and EZ-Link Motoring Card, which drivers use to pay for ERP or parking charges.
When the installation exercise started, the front passenger's footwell was recommended as the default position for the card reader. But this led to complaints that drivers found it difficult to remove or insert their card.
On Mar 28, LTA said drivers can choose where to install the unit, without specifying options, subject to technical feasibility. It clarified in its April announcement that the driver's footwell is an option.
A mechanic told CNA that allowing car owners to discuss with their workshop which side to put the card reader on is a “good move”.
He expects that most of the customers at his workshop, located at industrial building Synergy @ Kaki Bukit, will want the unit to be installed on the driver’s side for easy access.
He said: “Now that drivers know they can place their processing unit on the passenger or the driver's side, why would they put their unit on the passenger's side?”
He was among three mechanics that CNA spoke to at car workshops at Synergy @ Kaki Bukit.
They were from workshops that have been licensed by LTA to carry out the installation of the on-board unit (OBU) of the new ERP system. All spoke to CNA on the condition that they and their workshops were not identified.
MANY CONSIDERATIONS
Another mechanic said that while customers would likely prefer having the card reader on the driver's side, installing it there comes with its challenges.
For one, not all cars have their electrical control unit, which the card reader has to be connected to, on the driver's side of the car.
For some cars, the electrical control unit is on the passenger's side. This would make it more difficult for the mechanic to install the card reader on the driver's side.
“We have to take out the control panels of the car, and install the wire so that it runs through the middle of the car,” he said.
There are also other considerations such as the "curves" at the footwell area. If the car has too many curves, it may be difficult to fix the card reader there and it may fall off.
He told CNA that many mechanics have run into this issue of the card reader falling off or not functioning because of improper installation.
LTA recommends installing the ERP 2.0 processing unit at either the driver’s or the front passenger’s footwell. (Photos: LTA)
Another consideration is the space available in the driver's footwell.
“For Japanese cars, when the footwell is small, a driver may knock his leg on it when driving, so that’s another consideration,” he said.
Another mechanic from a different workshop said many customers do not realise that the card reader does not need to be near the driver.
“Honestly, it is common sense that the card does not need to be taken out to be topped up. And you can also press a button to deactivate the card,” he said.
He was referring to the auto top-up function, where drivers do not need to remove their card from the processing unit when the balance is low, as well as a new feature where drivers can press a button on the touchscreen display to deactivate the card.
However, his biggest gripe was that the previous ERP system had a largely standardised installation process for all cars, but ERP 2.0 units have to be installed on a “case by case” basis, which will mean more work to discuss the specifications with each driver.
CNA also visited the VICOM inspection centre at Kaki Bukit to speak to mechanics installing the new ERP units, but they said they were not authorised to answer media queries.
Motorists who opt out of installing the touchscreen display (right) can still access key on-board unit information via compatible smartphone apps. (Photo: CNA/Hanidah Amin)
ERP 2.1?
An engineering expert echoed what the mechanics said – that different car models have different layouts, and this could cause challenges when installing the ERP 2.0 units.
“Existing wiring and installed devices, such as cameras and safety devices, may also constrain the installation,” said Associate Professor Zhou Yi from the Engineering Cluster at the Singapore Institute of Technology.
He added that it may be more effective for the authorities to work directly with car manufacturers or authorised car dealer workshops “so that they can better standardise the installations towards their models”.
Some drivers have also questioned why the OBU for cars comes in three separate pieces unlike that for motorcycles, which have a single-piece OBU similar to the in-vehicle unit (IU) of the old ERP system.
LTA has said that the temperature in the footwell area of an enclosed car is significantly lower than the temperature at the dashboard, and that is why the OBU antenna has to be separated from the card reader.
Assoc Prof Zhou added that ERP 2.0’s screen-based OBU is more sensitive to the sun’s heat due to its electronics.
“It is expected to have a shorter lifespan if exposed to the sun for too long unless it is specifically designed for such a purpose.”
While the current system needs three units, it is possible to “further explore whether there can be alternative solutions such as ERP2.1, ERP2.2”, he added.
For instance, payments could be account-based rather than card-based. This would mean doing away with cards and charges going directly to the registered owner of the car.
“This option should be feasible once we can standardise car park payments into the same account system,” he said.
Assoc Prof Zhou added that ERP 2.0 information can also be displayed on built-in car screens.
“It can be feasible, especially for electric vehicles that adopt a more open system,” he said.
Last October, LTA said car owners can opt out of installing the touchscreen display and use a mobile application on their phone instead.
All new vehicles registered from May 1 will come with the ERP 2.0 unit already installed. Installation for existing motorcycles also started on the same day, but will start at a later date for existing cars.
Continue reading...