Ever lost your CashCard or Autopass? Don't lose it again!!!

Have you lost your CashCard or AutoPass card before? How many times have you lost it already??? Every time you lose it, the stored value is lost, and you still have to pay for a replacement card.

Singapore bikers must be familar with these:

• Do you face the need to enter the Central Business District (CBD) or pass through an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry on the expressways?

• Have you ever forgotten to insert your CashCard before passing through a gantry?
• Have you been penalised before for riding through an active gantry forgetting to insert your cash card?
• Don't you wish there was a way to remind you to insert the cash card?

• Ever forgotten to remove your CashCard?
• Has someone ever broken the flimsy plastic locking loops your ERP In-vehicle Unit (IU) to steal your cash card?
• How many cards have you already lost?
• How much money have you lost already?
• Don't you wish there was a way to remind you to remove the cash card?

Malaysian motorcyclists who ride into Singapore or must enter the Singapore CBD must be familar with the hassle of getting a replacement Autopass card when you lose your card which was stolen when left it in the IU unit?

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You can avoid losing your card!

Finally, here is a device to remind you not to forget to remove your CashCard or AutoPass:

More importantly, no modifications are made to your ERP IU unit. The CashCard Alert makes use of a patent-pending method of detecting the presence of a cash card without the need to modify the ERP unit, so as not to void the warranty on the ERP unit.

What will the CCA do?

• It will warn you if the CashCard has not been removed from the ERP device when turning off your motorcycle, so that you will never again forget to remove your CashCard.

• It will warn you if the CashCard is not inserted into the ERP device when turning on your motorcycle, so that you will never again forget to insert your CashCard.

What is the CCA?

• It is an electronic module housed in a compact package (to fit under seat or near battery)
• Like the ERP device, it draws only negligible power.
• No modifications to your ERP device is required.
• Quick installation. Comes with limited 1-year warranty.

How much does the CCA cost?

The distributor indicated an estimated price range of about $60, which includes installation.

Where can I get the CCA installed?

1 Syed Alwi Road
#01-04 Song Lin Building
Singapore 207628 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (click here to see map)

Tel: +65 62951904 , Fax: +65 62960833

Dealer enquiries are welcomed! Please call (attention prontoMoto, Mr John Koh)

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The CashCard Alert will behave in the following manner:

• When turning on the motorcycle

• If CashCard is not present, it will beep to remind you to insert a CashCard before you start your journey; beeping will continue for up to 15 seconds or until CashCard is inserted, whichever is sooner.

• If CashCard is present, it will remain silent

• When turning off the motorcycle

• If the CashCard is present, it will beep to remind you to remove the CashCard before you leaving your vehicle; beeping will continue for up to 15 seconds or until CashCard is removed, whichever is sooner.

• If CashCard is absent, it will remain silent

Logic inversion/opposite behaviour

Occasionally, the CCA may behave improperly in that (1) the CCA will beep when it should not, and (2) fail to beep when it should (complete opposite of the correct function). There is nothing physically or electrically wrong with the device, but the logic has become inverted.

Because the method of cash card detection is based on monitoring the activity of the in-vehicle unit (IU), additional unanticipated activity in the IU could trick the logic, hence the logic inversion. An example of this is the "low value/top-up cash card" warning that the IU will generate when the value stored in the card falls below the preset warning level ($5).

To avoid this logic inversion, it is suggested that the minimum card value be maintained above the "low value/top-up warning" level .

When logic inversion occurs, this can be easily corrected by following the procedure below:

• insert your CashCard the wrong way such that an "Err" message is indicated on the IU display (e.g. turn your CashCard the wrong side up before insertion)

• remove your CashCard

The logic should be re-inverted back to normal and your CCA should now function normally.

The joys and sorrows of having to pay the ERP...

Since the introduction of Electronic Road Pricing in the late 1990s, Singaporean motorcyclists have had the "honour" of having install what is perhaps the most expensive accessory for motorcycles in the world. Not only does it cost money to acquire and install, it eat money everytime you pass one of these wonderful (*not*) big blue ERP gantries. Without this thing, one can't enter the central business district or go along certain highways at certain hours of the day. A big "thank you" (not!) to the Singapore government for finding another way to tax money from us...

Drivers of cars have these bulky grey in-vehicle units (IUs) install them against the windshield inside the car. Motorcyclists on the other hand have the unit mounted on their handlebars. This make the possibility of casual theft if they are unfortunate enough to leave their CashCard or Autopass in the damned reader. The stupid plastic loop for locking the IU with a padlock is a waste of effort, since the thief would simply break of the flimsy plastic loop and take the card.

Depending on one's luck when losing the CashCard, there might have a bit or a lot of stored electronic money left in it. However if one rides a Malaysian motorcycle and has to use the Autopass card, the problems are bigger because the Land Transport Authority requires the same card to be used with the same vehicle, so that the daily Vehicle Entry Permit charge can be correctly calculated. Lose that and one would have to face the troublesome task of queuing at the LTA counter at the border checkpoint to cough up another $10 to get a replacement card and register the vehicle number to the card. If one is in a hurry to get home or if it is the peak hour, this would be a pain.

Some agencies have been so clever to try and integrate the CashCard into their Bank ATM cards, or worse, the Army integrated it into the servicemen's military identity card, all in the name of convenience - not! So great: instead of losing one item, you lose more in one go. And if it happens to be a military identity card, it is a serious offence and God-bless-the-hapless serviceman who would have no choice but to face punishment...

Home-made passive reminders

Anyway, there have been tried many different schemes to not forget to remove the cash card: ribbons, labels. These required the rider to see the visual reminder, but even then, there are sometimes lapses because I get distracted or am in a hurry. Withdraw the card after passing a gantry is possible, but sometimes one still forgets.

One way I developed was to punch a hole in card, string a flat ribbon through it and tie one end of the ribbon to the ignition key, so that the key can't be removed without withdrawing the Cashcard. The trouble was that once the card had a hole, it tended to crack over time. Furthermore, it only worked if the distance between the ignition switch and the ERP unit was very close, e.g. sports bikes. Cruisers and other bikes with the ignition key below the seat ended up with a long ribbon which have a tendency to flap pretty hard at high speeds, and sometimes gets tangled, with potentially lethal consequences.

Design challenges of an active reminder

The most ideal solution to this problem is an electronic device that reminds the driver/rider to remove the cashcard when one parks the vehicle. However this has been plagued by two important challenges: (1) how does the device know whether the card is in the unit or not, and (2) how will the unit know when to alert the driver/rider.

A number of people have been developing electronic means of detecting the card. However these require modifications to the ERP unit. Such a modification constitutes tampering and would obviously void the 5-year warranty on the ERP unit, and numerous requests to LTA to approve such modifications to the ERP unit have to date been unsuccessful.

Ironically, the LTA is in the best position to solve this problem: if the IU had this feature built into the IU in the first place, this would never have become necessary.

The CashCard Alert (CCA)

Developed and manufactured in Singapore, the developer of the CashCard Alert appears to have figured out how this can be done without modifying the ERP unit. This innovation is currently being patented, and the CashCard Alert therefore appears to be the first promising commercially available device as it does not require any modification to the ERP in-vehicle unit.

Installation

The installation was relatively painless. Roughly the size of a $10 note and as thick as 10¢ coin, the module is fitted either around the battery case or somewhere else under the bike saddle, depending on where there might have space.

(Image: The Cash Card Alert being installed in the confined space of the tail of a sport tourer. The other module and siren is an existing car alarm system which was there prior to installation of the CCA).

There are screw mounting loops in the chassis of the module so could be screwed on to some panel. Alternatlvely, double sided tape could also be used. In my case, due to the tight space around the battery holder, it had to go into the tail where it was secured to the base of the tool storage area using a long heavy-duty plastic cable tie.

It has a beeper which does not necessarily have to be put together with the unit, but can be placed elsewhere to be better heard. Optionally, there is also a lead for an LED indicator, but is not really necessary as the audible alert is adequate..

The wiring work took around 15 to 30 minutes. Essentially, instead of the ERP unit being wired up directly to the battery, the ERP unit is now connected to the CashCardAlert, which is in turn connected to the battery. There is also additional wiring between the unit and the beeper and other sensing wires. After all the wires were laid and connected, they were nicely taped up to become a wiring harness.

How it works

The logics of the CCA appears to be designed such that the unit is active only when the ignition is turned on or off, and generally remains off at other times.

The unit beeps under two conditions. The first being when the ignition key is turned on, the unit will beep repeatedly until the rider inserts his CashCard or 10 seconds has elapsed. If the card is in the ERP unit before the ignition key is turned on, the unit does not beep.

The second is when the ignition key is turned off and if the CashCard is still in the ERP unit, in which case the unit would beep until the rider removes the CashCard or 10 seconds has elapsed. If the card is already removed from the unit before the ignition key is turned off, the unit does not beep.

Occasionally, the logic can become inverted such that it beeps when it should not, and not beep when it should. This is easily fixed by inverting a cash card in the wrong way such that an "Err" is displayed. Normal operation is then restored.

My opinion

The beeping is quite effective. In my opinion, it would be difficult for the rider to forget to remove the CashCard when switching off the bike. In principle, the unit enforces some form of behavioural modification.

On the flip side, it is also too irritating, because it beeps everytime one turns on the bike, especially if one does not need to pass through an ERP gantry. . Perhaps this nuisance is a small price to pay to avoid losing a CashCard or an Autopass.

Pricing was not available at the time of writing this article, but was said to be between $60 and $70, which would include installation. Compared to the value if a number of cards are lost, this does not cost very much.

Interested motorcyclists can go to the workshop or call prontoMoto.

To restrain private motor vehicle ownership, the Electronic Road Pricing scheme directly charges drivers according to the congestion manifesting at the particular time and place. With ERP, motorists will be made aware of the true cost of driving. Intermodal competition, such as with the mass transit system, would also become fairer.

Since June 1975, Singapore had been operating a manual road pricing scheme called the Area Licensing Scheme for the city area. Under the system, a motorist needs to purchase and display a paper area licence to enter a restricted zone in the city. These licenses come in different shapes for different vehicles and are colour coded for different months for easy spotting by the police. This is a labour-intensive and inefficient method..

In 1998, Singapore started the first ERP scheme in the World. The first two ERP gantries started operating along an expressway, the East Coast Parkway, from 1 April 1998 to replace the manual system.

There are currently 41 ERP controlled points and the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) had plans to extend the systems to the Outer Ring Road. In terms of capacity, the Singapore ERP system is designed to handle up to 100 control points.

About Vehicle Entry Permits and Autopass Cards

Foreign/Malaysia-registered car or motorcycle is required to have a valid Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) during its stay in Singapore. Upon departure from Singapore, motorists may pay their VEP fees with the Autopass Card at the Tuas or Woodlands Checkpoint. The same Autopass Card must be used for each return trip to and from Singapore through the Checkpoints.

The automated Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)/toll system has been implemented on 1 April 2000. With the automated system, drivers of Singapore registered vehicles will use the CashCard to pay for their tolls, and foreign-registered vehicles will use the Autopass Card, a stored-value smart card, to pay their VEP fees and/or toll at the Singapore land checkpoints;ie Tuas Checkpoint, Woodlands Checkpoint and Changi Ferry Terminal.

VEP fees are calculated on a daily basis. Under the new payment system, no VEP fees are payable on all Saturdays, Sundays and all Singapore Public Holidays.

The Autopass Card can also be used to pay the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges using a temporary in-vehicle (IU) unit which may be rented at any one of the IU rental shops. The Autopass Card is non-transferable. The tables below show the different VEP fees and toll charges for the different categories of vehicles during hours of operation.

To use the new payment system, drivers of Singapore-registered vehicles will need to purchase a CashCard ($22, inclusive of a refundable deposit of $2). Drivers of foreign-registered vehicles will need to purchase an Autopass Card at a cost of $10, comprise $4 cash value preloaded into card and $6 card cost (non-refundable) at the primary clearance/immigration booths at the Singapore checkpoints. Owners of foreign-registered buses, taxis and goods vehicles may buy their Autopass Cards at the LTA office at Sin Ming Drive at the same time when they apply for a Goods Vehicle Permit (GVP) or Public Service Vehicle Permit (PSVP)

Before arriving at the Singapore checkpoints, the drivers are required to top-up their Autopass Cards or CashCards with sufficient cash value to pay their VEP fees and/or toll. Topping up services are available at 7-Eleven convenience stores, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of DBS, OCBC, OUB, UOB, POSBank and Keppel-Tat Lee Bank; most petrol stations, and convenience stores and outlets that carry the "Autopass Card Top-Up" sign.

For more information, see:

• Land Transport Authority (LTA) website: http://www.lta.gov.sg
• One-Motoring web portal: http://www.onemotoring.com.sg

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Note: The following content originates from the One-Motoring website. However due to the slow speed and difficulty accessing that website, it has been included here for your convenience.

Source URL: http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/faq/faqIndex.asp?CatID=76

Q1: How can I be sure that the IU is reliable to use?

A1: The LTA has put the IU and the ERP system through millions of test. They have all consistently shown a very low fault level. The reliability rate has been 99.99%.

The IU carries a five-year warranty against manufacturing defect.

Q2: What should I do if my CashCard is faulty?

A2:

• Buy a new CashCard for immediate use
• Return the faulty CashCard for a refund to:
  • NETS, 298 Tiong Bahru Road, Tiong Bahru Plaza, #04-01/06 or
  • Any ‘CashCard Refund Box’ at local bank branches
• For more information call NETS at 6274 1322

Q3: How do I know if my CashCard is in working order?

A3: Whenever you buy a new CashCard, it is a good practice to insert and remove the card repeatedly 10 times before using the CashCard for ERP charges (editor: to clean the contacts on the card). If you do not hear the beep and see the balance each time, you should exchange the CashCard for a new one.

Q4: What will the ERP charges be?

A4: Click here to see ERP charges ( http://traffic.smart.lta.gov.sg/erprates.htm ) .

Editor: also see my One-Stop Singapore Bikers' Essential Links webpage

Q5: Where can I buy the CashCard?

A5:

• Any branch of DBS, UOB, OCBC, POSBank
• At Selected Petrol Stations
• At 7-Eleven Outlets
• For more information call NETS at 6274 1322.

Q6: How do I insert the CashCard?

A6:

• Insert the CashCard face down
• The magnetic strip facing up should be to your left
• Insert the CashCard into the IU until you hear a click

• You should then:
  • Hear a short beep
  • See a green light (except for motorcycles and taxis)
  • See your CashCard balance

Q7: Can I test my IU daily?

A7: Yes. Before you begin your journey, insert your CashCard into the IU, you should :

• hear a short beep
• see a green light (except for motorcycles and taxis)
• see the balance on your CashCard

Otherwise check for the following:

If an error icon appears on the display after you insert the CashCard, please follow the steps below.

Message	Action/Analysis
IU icon "Err"	Your IU is faulty. Send your car to the appointed centres: Inspection centre Other Appointed centres
IU icon No display	Your IU is faulty, or the internal battery is depleted. Send your car to the appointed centres: Inspection centre Other Appointed centres
CashCard icon Err	Your CashCard is faulty. Is your CashCard inserted the right way (ie. face down)? Did you insert the right CashCard?
$ icon $0.50	The balance on your CashCard is low. Please top-up.
Battery icon $20.00	The replaceable battery may be going flat*; If so, replace it with a new one.
No display	Is the power cable connected properly? Is the replaceable battery going flat?* Is your CashCard bent or damaged?
Continuous beep	Did you insert the right CashCard? Is there sufficient balance on the CashCard? Is the power cable connected properly? Is the replaceable battery going flat?* Is your CashCard bent or damaged?

* Note: Applies only to temporary IUs.

Q8: Where can I top-up my CashCard?

A8: At any ATM machine displaying the ‘CashCard Accepted Here’ sign

• At AXS Stations
• At Selected Petrol Stations
• At 7-Eleven Outlets (a service fee of $0.50 per top-up is applicable)

For more information call NETS 6274 1322.

Q9: What are the operating hours for ERP?

A9: ERP is operational in the following areas:

• Restricted Zone
  • Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays)
  • 7.30am to 7.00pm
• Expressways and Outer Ring Roads Areas
  • Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays)
  • 7.30am to 9.30am

Click here for current operational hours and rates.

Editor: also see my One-Stop Singapore Bikers' Essential Links webpage

Q10: Where are the ERP gantries?

A10: Click here to see location of ERP Gantries on the

• Restricted Zone
• Expressways: CTE, PIE, ECP and AYE
• Outer Ring Roads: Thomson Road southbound after Toa Payoh Rise and Kallang Road westbound after Kallang River.

For more, see LTA website: http://www.lta.gov.sg/2_ERP/2_RatesLocations.htm

Q11: How will I know if my CashCard balance is low?

A11: When you insert your CashCard into the IU, the balance on your CashCard will be displayed.

If your balance is low, you will:

• hear a long beep sound
• see a ‘dollar sign’ icon

Q12: What is an ERP violation?

A12: From 1 June 1999, motorists who pass through an operational Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry without a properly inserted CashCard in the in-vehicle unit (IU), or with a CashCard with insufficient balance to pay for the ERP charges, will be asked to pay an administrative surcharge of $10 plus the ERP charge, within two weeks of the violation.

Motorists are advised that if the administrative charge and the ERP charge are not paid within this period, they will receive a Notice of Traffic Offence offering to compound the offence for $70 payable within 28 days. Upon expiry of the Notice, the matter will be referred to the Court.

The composition fine for passing through an ERP gantry without an IU will remain at $70.

Q13: Has the IU been tested and how do we know that it is safe to use?

A13: The IU is a very safe device. It was designed by an international consortium comprising Philips Singapore, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Miyoshi Electronics Corp and CSE Systems & Engineering, after comprehensive studies and tests.

The IU is designed according to international standards and the consortium has given assurance that a properly fitted IU will not be dislodged in a collision, even at speeds higher than the posted expressway speeds. This has been borne out by rigorous tests done over the past two years.

The adhesive used to fix the IU to the windscreen of the vehicle has also been subjected to various rigorous tests such as laboratory test which simulates impact at 60G and actual crash test at 50 kph against a brick wall, which is equivalent to an impact at about 100 kph against a stationary vehicle. The results show that the criteria have been achieved. The impact cracked the windscreen during the crash test but the IU remained intact.

The adhesive has also been subjected to shock tests, which simulated impact at speeds of up to 160 kph. Rigorous tests on the effectiveness of the adhesive by the consortium included effects of vibration, humidity and atmospheric conditions. Ageing tests simulating 10 years were also carried out. The adhesive passed all the tests.

Q14: What if there is a fault?

A14: The IU is covered by a 5-year warranty against manufacturer’s defects. You may have it repaired, free of charge, at any IU service centre.

Q15: How do I know if the ERP charge has been deducted properly?

A15: You can obtain a printout of your last 10 transactions for your CashCards:

• at any ATM machine displaying the ‘CashCard Accepted Here’ sign and AXS Stations (a service charge of 20 cents per page will be deducted for each printout). For more information call NETS at 6274 1322.
• by using the ADC E-Key smart card reader - for more details call ADC Technologies at 6248 6102
• by using the HomeNets Device - for more details call NETS at 6274 1322

Q15: Where can I see ERP gantry numbers?

A15: Please refer to the following table for the ERP gantry numbers. You will find the same numbers on the printed receipts for your CashCards. They will help you to identify the locations of the gantries.

Outstation ID / Location

1 Victoria Street
2 Nicoll Highway
3 Eu Tong Sen Street
4 Orchard Link
5 Lim Teck Kim Road
6 Anson Road
7 Tanjong Pagar Road
8 Prince Edward Road
9 Bencoolen Street
10 Queen Street
11 North Bridge Road
12 Oxley Road
13 Orchard Road
14 Orchard Turn
15 Killiney Road
16 Beach Road
17 Temasek Boulevard
18 Republic Boulevard
19 Havelock Road / Clemenceau Ave
20 Havelock Road / CTE Exit
21 Buyong Road
22 Kramat Road
23 River Valley Road
24 Merchant Road / Clemenceau Ave
25 Merchant Road / CTE Exit
26 Clemenceau Ave
27 Cairnhill Road
28 Crawford Street
29 ECP from Ophir Road
30 ECP after Fort Road
31 CTE after Braddell Road
32 PIE Westbound, Woodsville Flyover
33 CTE from Serangoon Road
34 CTE from Balastier Road
35 CTE before Braddell Road
36 AYE to City before Alexandra Road
37 PIE to Changi before Adam Road exit
38 Mt Pleasant slip road to PIE
39 Thomson Road after Toa Payoh Rise
40 Bendemeer Road
41 Kallang Road
42 PIE slip road to CTE
43 Dunearn Road before Wayang Satu (Whitley) Flyover
44 Dunearn Road before Dunearn Road/Stevens Road/Whitley Road junction
45 PIE Slip Road to Bendemeer Road

Q16: What is the ERP operating hours in the Restricted Zone on the eve of public holidays?

A16: On the eve of the five major public holidays, the ERP operating hours will start at 7.30 am and end at 1.00 pm for the Restricted Zone. The ERP rates will be the same as that on a weekday during the operating period of 7.30 am to 1.00 pm.

The ERP rates and operating hours at the Expressways and Outer Ring Road areas will remain unchanged.

The five major holidays are as follows:

• New Year's Day
• Hari Raya Puasa
• Chinese New Year
• Deepavali
• Christmas Day

Q17: What must I do if I suspect that the IU is malfunctioning?

A17: The IU is covered by a 5-year warranty against manufacturer's defects. You may send your car to the appointed centres:

• Inspection centre
• Other Appointed centres

Q18: Where can I rent an IU?

A18: Click here to view the list.

Q19: I have received a Vehicle Inspection Notice (VIN) from LTA, where can I send my IU for inspection?

A19: If you have received a Vehicle Inspection Notice (VIN) from LTA, you would need to send your car to the Appointed Inspection Centres for inspection.

VIN will be issued if the gantry detected technical errors due to cash card error, IU error, no supply to IU and communication errors.

Q20: What should I do if my IU is lost or stolen?

A20: You can either make a Police report or go to any authorised IU Service Centre to report the loss and fit a new IU. The new IU will be chargeable.

Q21: Can I buy an IU from LTA and have it fitted by my friend who is a mechanic or fit it myself?

A21: No, IUs must be fitted at authorised IU Service Centres.

Q22: Can I sell my IU to someone else?

A22: No, you are not allowed to.

Q23: What will happen to the IU when my vehicle is sold to another owner?

A23: The IU is to be treated as an extension of your vehicle and should be sold together with it.

Q24: What will happen to the IU when my vehicle (Singapore-registered) is scrapped?

A24: The IU will be scrapped together with the vehicle. However, you can re-use the IU on another vehicle, provided:

a) the IU is in good working condition;

b) your old vehicle is de-registered and its IU de-commissioned (as in the case of scrapped vehicles);

c) the IU is transferred from a vehicle of a similar type as the new vehicle, example the IU from a van cannot be used in a car;

d) the transfer of the IU is made within 6 months of its de-commissioning; and

e) the transfer must be done at an authorised IU Service Centre.