Statute Details
- Title: Active Mobility (Enforcement Detection System Testing — Exemption) Order 2024
- Act Code: AMA2017-S600-2024
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (Order)
- Authorising Act: Active Mobility Act 2017 (power under section 66)
- Legislative Citation: S 600/2024
- Date Made: 17 July 2024
- Commencement / Period in Force: 18 July 2024 to 30 September 2027 (both dates inclusive)
- Status: Current version as at 26 March 2026
- Key Provisions: Section 2 (definitions); Section 3 (exemption for riding specified PAB on public paths)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Active Mobility (Enforcement Detection System Testing — Exemption) Order 2024 (“the Order”) is a targeted regulatory instrument that temporarily permits certain riders to use a specific type of power-assisted bicycle (“PAB”) on public paths for the purpose of testing Singapore’s Active Mobility Enforcement Detection System. In plain terms, it creates a limited exemption from specified legal requirements under the Active Mobility Act 2017 (“AMA”) for a defined testing activity.
The Order is not a general relaxation of rules for PAB riders. Instead, it is designed to facilitate operational testing by the Authority (the “Authority” is referenced through the definition of the enforcement detection system). Testing is carried out by using one or more “specified PAB” to simulate the commission of offences under the AMA or the Road Traffic Act 1961 (“RTA”). The exemption applies only when strict conditions are met, including authorisation, advance notice, safety equipment, speed limits, and insurance coverage.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the Order is best understood as a compliance carve-out: it allows otherwise non-compliant or otherwise restricted riding to occur for a short, defined window (18 July 2024 to 30 September 2027) while preserving public safety and accountability through procedural and substantive safeguards.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Citation, duration, and scope of the Order (Section 1)
Section 1(1) provides the short title: the Active Mobility (Enforcement Detection System Testing — Exemption) Order 2024. Section 1(2) sets the temporal scope: the Order is in force from 18 July 2024 to 30 September 2027 (inclusive). This matters because the exemption is time-bound; outside this period, the exemption would not apply.
2. Definitions that control the exemption (Section 2)
Section 2 contains several definitions that effectively “gate” eligibility for the exemption:
- Active Mobility Enforcement Detection System: defined as a system using closed-circuit television cameras to detect offences committed under the AMA or the RTA by individuals riding a range of mobility devices, including bicycles, PABs, personal mobility devices, mobility scooters, and motorised wheelchairs.
- Fonda Global Engineering Pte. Ltd.: identified by name and corporate particulars (incorporated under the Companies Act 1967). This is crucial because the exemption is tied to authorisation and notice by this specific entity.
- “Specified activity”: defined as testing the Authority’s enforcement detection system between the same dates (18 July 2024 to 30 September 2027) by using one or more specified PAB to simulate the commission of offences under the AMA or the RTA.
- “Specified PAB”: defined as a power-assisted bicycle that is not a non-compliant power-assisted bicycle. This indicates that the exemption does not extend to PABs that fail compliance requirements; rather, it is about permitting certain conduct during testing even though the rider may be simulating offences.
- “Working day”: any day other than Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday. This definition is used for the notice requirement.
3. The exemption and its conditions (Section 3)
Section 3 is the operative provision. It states that Sections 15(1), 16(1)(a), 20A(2) and 21 of the AMA do not apply to the rider of a specified PAB on a public path, provided the rider satisfies all listed conditions.
Although the extract does not reproduce the text of AMA sections 15(1), 16(1)(a), 20A(2), and 21, the legal effect is clear: the Order carves out the rider from those statutory obligations during the specified testing context. Practitioners should therefore read the referenced AMA provisions in full to understand precisely what is being exempted (for example, whether they relate to equipment, riding conduct, or other regulatory requirements). The Order’s structure suggests that the exempted obligations are those that would otherwise be triggered by the testing method (simulating offences) or by the manner of riding on public paths.
Section 3 then sets out seven conditions (a) to (g). The exemption is conditional and cumulative—failure to satisfy any one condition would likely mean the exemption does not apply.
Condition (a): Authorisation by the named company
The rider must be authorised by Fonda Global Engineering Pte. Ltd. to ride the specified PAB in connection with the specified activity. This ensures that only personnel operating under the contractor’s control can benefit from the exemption.
Condition (b): Advance written notice to the Authority
Fonda Global Engineering Pte. Ltd. must give the Authority at least 3 working days’ written notice of each date, time, and location where the specified PAB will be ridden. This is a procedural safeguard that supports planning, oversight, and risk management.
Condition (c): Night-time visibility requirements
When ridden from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., the specified PAB must display a white light at the front and a red light or red reflector at the back. This aligns with general road safety principles and reduces the risk of the testing activity being less visible than ordinary traffic.
Condition (d): Speed limits by path type
The rider must ride at a speed not exceeding:
- 10 km/h on pedestrian-only paths
- 20 km/h on footpaths
- 35 km/h on shared paths
These limits are particularly important because the exemption is intended to permit simulated offences. The law therefore constrains the testing to relatively low speeds, mitigating harm to pedestrians and other path users.
Condition (e): Helmet requirement
The rider must wear a suitable protective bicycle helmet securely on the head. This is a substantive safety requirement that applies regardless of the exemption.
Condition (f): Insurance coverage for third-party death, injury, and property damage
There must be in force, at any time the specified PAB is ridden in connection with the specified activity, a policy of insurance insuring against liability for:
- death of or bodily injury to any person (other than the rider); and
- property damage suffered by any person (other than the rider),
caused by or arising out of the use of the specified PAB. This condition is a key risk allocation mechanism and provides a practical remedy pathway for affected third parties.
Condition (g): Insurer must be lawfully carrying on insurance business in Singapore
The risk under the insurance policy must be assumed by an insurer who, at the time the policy is issued, is lawfully carrying on an insurance business in Singapore. This ensures regulatory oversight of the insurer and reduces the risk of unenforceable or non-compliant coverage.
4. Making and administrative details
The Order is made on 17 July 2024 by the Permanent Secretary (Transport Development), Ministry of Transport. The presence of administrative references in the extract (including internal file references) indicates the Order is part of a formal regulatory process under the AMA.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is concise and consists of an enacting formula and three substantive sections:
- Section 1: Citation and period in force (sets the temporal applicability).
- Section 2: Definitions (controls interpretation of “Active Mobility Enforcement Detection System”, “specified activity”, “specified PAB”, “working day”, and identifies the named company).
- Section 3: Exemption provision (disapplies specified AMA sections to eligible riders on public paths, subject to conditions).
There are no additional Parts or schedules in the extract, reflecting the Order’s narrow purpose.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The exemption applies to the rider of a specified PAB on a public path, but only when the rider is participating in the defined specified activity (testing of the Authority’s enforcement detection system) during the defined period (18 July 2024 to 30 September 2027).
In practice, the Order is operationally directed at a specific testing arrangement involving Fonda Global Engineering Pte. Ltd. The rider must be authorised by that company, and the company must provide advance written notice to the Authority. Accordingly, while the legal beneficiary is the rider, the compliance framework is anchored to the named corporate entity and its testing programme.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it enables the Authority to test a camera-based enforcement system that detects offences involving active mobility devices. Enforcement detection systems are typically validated through controlled trials that may require simulated offence behaviour. Without an exemption, testing could be constrained by the very legal prohibitions the system is intended to detect.
At the same time, the Order is carefully bounded. The exemption is limited to a defined time window, a defined testing purpose, and a defined class of PABs (“specified PAB” that are not non-compliant). It also imposes multiple safety and accountability conditions—night-time lighting, path-specific speed ceilings, helmet use, and third-party insurance. These safeguards are likely intended to balance operational testing needs with public safety and legal risk management.
For practitioners advising clients involved in testing, compliance, or active mobility operations, the Order provides a clear checklist of conditions that must be satisfied to rely on the exemption. It also signals that regulators will allow limited disapplication of statutory requirements, but only where procedural notice, safety measures, and insurance are in place.
Related Legislation
- Active Mobility Act 2017 (including sections referenced in the Order: 15(1), 16(1)(a), 20A(2), 21; and the enabling power in section 66)
- Road Traffic Act 1961
- Companies Act 1967 (used to identify the named company)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Active Mobility (Enforcement Detection System Testing — Exemption) Order 2024 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.