'Bulky', 'looks like taxi': Transport minister Ong Ye Kung responds to comments about new 3-piece onboard unit

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) recently released a glimpse of what the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system will be like and… let’s say motorists have strong opinions on it. 

Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung has since responded to the colourful comments on social media.

On Tuesday (Sept 8), LTA announced that the installation of new onboard units (OBUs) will kick off next year to replace the current in-vehicle units (IUs) motorists have been familiar with for more than a decade. 

Minister Ong followed up by stating that the OBUs will sport a bigger screen that can double as a display unit to show maps, real-time traffic information and safety alerts. The new units are required before the overhaul of the ERP system in 2023, which will involve satellite-based tech and slimmer, smaller gantries. 

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The existing cordon-based congestion pricing framework, however, will remain. 

Motorists have been sounding off their thoughts on the new OBU, which comprises three pieces: an antenna, a touchscreen display to be mounted on the windscreen, and a processing unit to be fitted beneath the dashboard. The three-piece set only applies for vehicles that aren’t motorbikes — riders simply have to replace their current IU with a single-piece OBU. 

Across social media, netizens have mentioned that the OBU looks messy, and would ruin the look of the car interior. 

Many have said that the OBU set looks like the devices that cabbies have in their taxis.

Others have wondered why the multiple components for cars couldn’t be condensed into a single unit.

‘Practical constraints’

Minister Ong sought to clarify the concerns in a Facebook post today (Sept 10). Regarding why the three-piece unit can’t be condensed into a single component, the minister mentioned that the separation was needed to combat overheating.

"The issue is heat. From time to time, we park our cars under the hot sun, and a processing unit on the dashboard could not function without a big cooling unit,” he said. 

“Hence the contractor designed it to be a separate module under the dashboard, instead of making it part of a much larger integrated OBU on the dashboard.”

On worries about the OBU display’s bulkiness, Minister Ong stated that it would best be incorporated now for LTA to provide important traffic-related information — and also in case motorists changed their mind after initially using a smaller unit without a display. 

He also mentioned that the photos of the OBU “might be a bit misleading” and that its dimensions are “only slightly bigger” than current IUs. 

Consultation on the actual design of the OBUs had not been possible, he added, as LTA was contractually bound to the chosen proposal. 

“There can be consultations and change of design but it will affect the contract,” he said. “We will have to see how to do this better next time.” 

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ilyas@asiaone.com