The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has commenced a trial allowing 1,000 motorists in Singapore to use their vehicles’ on-board units (OBUs) to pay for roadside parking. The pilot, which began on August 3, covers 644 designated carparks with approximately 19,000 parking spaces, representing most roadside spots managed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
This new electronic parking payment feature is part of a broader initiative designed to precede the rollout of the satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing system, known as ERP 2, scheduled for January 2027. The current ERP system, which relies on gantry-based vehicle detection and has been in use since 1995, will be phased out with the transition to the updated technology.
During the trial, participating motorists can initiate parking sessions directly through the touchscreen displays of their OBUs by selecting a “P” icon or responding to prompts appearing when the vehicle engine is turned off. If multiple carparks are detected nearby, users can select their location from a list shown on the screen. The display also provides the applicable parking rate and remains active for about two minutes before automatically shutting down. To start another parking session after the screen powers down, motorists may restart the vehicle ignition or continue to use alternative payment options such as the Parking.SG mobile app.
Unlike traditional parking systems, there is no manual option to end a parking session; the system automatically concludes the session once the vehicle departs from the parking space. LTA noted this approach aims to streamline the parking experience. The authority also confirmed that the Parking.SG app will continue to be available even after the full deployment of the roadside electronic parking feature.
Payments during the trial are processed via the CEPAS card embedded in the OBU’s processing unit or through integrated payment services including AXS Drive, EZ-Link Motoring Service, and Nets Virtual CashCard. In tests conducted by journalists in locations such as Upper East Coast Road and Outram Road, parking charges appeared on the OBU display shortly after vehicles exited parking bays.
In addition to parking payments, the trial also evaluates features such as “ERP Ahead” notifications on OBU screens, as well as new road markings and signage intended to help motorists recognize ERP toll collection zones. LTA is collecting user feedback on these interfaces and functionalities to refine them before the full nationwide rollout.
Starting January 1, existing ERP gantries will be gradually dismantled, with information about ERP rates and operating hours transitioning from physical gantries to OBU touchscreen displays and compatible smartphone applications. This process reflects the LTA’s effort to upgrade Singapore’s electronic road pricing system using satellite technology, marking a significant shift from the decades-old gantry-based system.