<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>ERP woes: Fault lies with 2,900 CashCards
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Tan Weizhen
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AFTER a probe lasting four months, the root of a problem that has plagued motorists since May - drivers being fined despite passing Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries with topped-up CashCards - has been pinpointed.
In a press statement yesterday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), together with Nets, pointed to 2,900 CashCards that were incompatible with in-vehicle units (IUs).
The fault was discovered as a result of joint investigations by the two agencies, which involved testing motorists' CashCards and IUs at vehicle inspection centres.
The faulty CashCards have been removed from circulation, the statement said.
The problem surfaced in May when motorists started complaining that ERP gantries could not detect their CashCards even though they were topped up.
The motorists were then fined for not paying ERP charges.
In response, the LTA and Nets said 2,500 motorists have been exempted from paying the fines after the problem surfaced.
The episode kick-started a debate on whether the fault lay with the CashCards or the IUs.
The problems, though, seem to be abating.
Since July, about 15 motorists a day have been turning up at vehicle inspection centres to have their CashCard and IU problems resolved. This is down from about 80 daily between May and June.
Before the testing service was introduced, about 10 motorists a day had such glitches fixed.
The one-stop service, which allows motorists to swop their faulty IUs or CashCards for new ones, will continue for as long as there is demand, according to the LTA and Nets.
Both have since begun using new equipment designed to reduce the error rate.
Next-generation CashCards - the old ones are no longer for sale - have undergone tests that show they work well with IUs under high heat.
New, sleeker IUs, already available for motorcycles, will be introduced for vehicles from January next year.
They can automatically top up cards, and also accept more kinds of cards. The LTA has said the device will be able to tell whether any problems lie with the card or the IU.
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Tan Weizhen
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AFTER a probe lasting four months, the root of a problem that has plagued motorists since May - drivers being fined despite passing Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries with topped-up CashCards - has been pinpointed.
In a press statement yesterday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), together with Nets, pointed to 2,900 CashCards that were incompatible with in-vehicle units (IUs).
The fault was discovered as a result of joint investigations by the two agencies, which involved testing motorists' CashCards and IUs at vehicle inspection centres.
The faulty CashCards have been removed from circulation, the statement said.
The problem surfaced in May when motorists started complaining that ERP gantries could not detect their CashCards even though they were topped up.
The motorists were then fined for not paying ERP charges.
In response, the LTA and Nets said 2,500 motorists have been exempted from paying the fines after the problem surfaced.
The episode kick-started a debate on whether the fault lay with the CashCards or the IUs.
The problems, though, seem to be abating.
Since July, about 15 motorists a day have been turning up at vehicle inspection centres to have their CashCard and IU problems resolved. This is down from about 80 daily between May and June.
Before the testing service was introduced, about 10 motorists a day had such glitches fixed.
The one-stop service, which allows motorists to swop their faulty IUs or CashCards for new ones, will continue for as long as there is demand, according to the LTA and Nets.
Both have since begun using new equipment designed to reduce the error rate.
Next-generation CashCards - the old ones are no longer for sale - have undergone tests that show they work well with IUs under high heat.
New, sleeker IUs, already available for motorcycles, will be introduced for vehicles from January next year.
They can automatically top up cards, and also accept more kinds of cards. The LTA has said the device will be able to tell whether any problems lie with the card or the IU.
