What roadside parking could look like under ERP 2
About 1,000 motorists are testing roadside electronic parking under ERP 2. CNA took it for a spin.
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SINGAPORE: Testing of a new roadside electronic parking (REP) feature under ERP 2 began on Monday (Aug 3), offering a glimpse of a future without the Parking.sg app.
Drivers can instead use their ERP 2 on-board unit (OBU) to select a car park, start a parking session and end it simply by driving away.
This CNA journalist was among about 1,000 motorists given early access to REP as part of the trial. The feature has been rolled out at 644 designated car park locations, covering about 19,000 roadside parking lots islandwide.
Other ERP 2 features, location-based charging and checkpoint charging, will be rolled out to the public on Jan 1, 2027. A roll-out date for REP has not been announced.
HOW IT WORKS
I decided to test the feature at Woodlands Industrial Park, choosing it partly because of the lighter traffic there during off-peak hours.
The first change I noticed was a new "P" icon in the top right corner of the OBU display. After parking at a roadside lot, the icon lit up to show that roadside parking was available.
Without turning off the engine, I tapped the icon and was shown two options: Woodlands Industrial Park E3 and Woodlands Industrial Park E1.
As it was unclear which zone I was in, I had to step out to check the car park code on a nearby sign, then return to the vehicle to select the correct one.
This differs from the Parking.sg app, where motorists can check the signage before starting a parking session on their phones, without needing to return to the vehicle.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority said that in cases where multiple nearby parking locations are shown on the OBU touchscreen due to the close proximity of the car parks, motorists are advised to choose the topmost option. This is the most accurate reflection of the actual location, so motorists need not step out of their vehicle to check.
Not every location presented multiple options. Closer to the centre of the Woodlands Industrial Park E3 zone, the OBU skipped the selection screen entirely and went straight to a page showing parking rates.
Once I selected the correct zone, the OBU displayed the applicable rate along with an option to begin parking.
Tapping "start" triggered a prompt to confirm the car was within a designated lot; tapping "continue" then started the session. The fee was displayed briefly before the screen turned off.
A session can also be activated by switching off the engine after parking.
When I tried this, the OBU automatically displayed the available zones without my needing to press the "P" icon, after which the same steps applied.
With the engine off, however, motorists have only two minutes to start a session before the display shuts down, leaving a narrow window to step out and verify the car park code if needed.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has said motorists must actively confirm the start of a session, both to verify their intention to park and to keep control over when charging begins, similar to Parking.sg. This also helps ensure parking charges are applied accurately.
ENDING A PARKING SESSION
This is where REP proved more seamless.
Under the current system, motorists must manually end their session in the Parking.sg app before driving off, and remember to extend their parking duration if needed.
With REP, no extension is needed as long as the car remains in the lot.
As I drove off, the session ended automatically, with charges displayed on the OBU screen and deducted directly from the CashCard.
LTA has said the system will calculate parking charges automatically, without motorists needing to estimate or extend their duration.
Parking.sg will remain in operation after REP is fully rolled out, and motorists without the OBU touchscreen display can continue using the app.
