Statute Details
- Title: Petroleum (Transport by Land — Fees) Rules
- Act Code: PA1908-R3
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (sl)
- Authorising Act: Petroleum Act (Chapter 229), Section 28
- Current Version: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Revised Edition: Revised Edition 1990 (25th March 1992)
- Commencement: Not stated in the extract; note that an amendment took effect 1 April 1992 (see Section 2 and S 140/92)
- Key Provisions (Extract): Section 1 (Citation); Section 2 (Annual fees for licences)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Petroleum (Transport by Land — Fees) Rules are subsidiary legislation made under the Petroleum Act. In practical terms, these Rules set out the annual licence fees payable for licences issued under the Petroleum Act (and any related rules) for the land transport of petroleum and dangerous petroleum.
The Rules are not a comprehensive “transport safety” code. Instead, they operate as a charging instrument: they specify how much a licensee must pay each year depending on the type of vehicle and the quantity of petroleum (or dangerous petroleum) being transported.
For lawyers and compliance teams, the key value of these Rules is that they translate regulatory licensing requirements into a clear fee schedule. This affects budgeting, licence renewal workflows, and disputes about correct classification of the vehicle and quantity band.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the short title of the Rules: they may be cited as the Petroleum (Transport by Land — Fees) Rules. While this is standard drafting, it matters for legal referencing in correspondence, submissions, and enforcement actions.
Section 2 (Fees) is the operative provision in the extract. It states that the annual fee payable for a licence issued under the Petroleum Act (or rules made under it) for a vehicle used for transporting petroleum or dangerous petroleum is determined by the vehicle category and the quantity transported.
The fee schedule is structured into three main categories:
- Lorries transporting petroleum or dangerous petroleum in cans or drums within a specified quantity range (not less than 180 litres but not exceeding 4,500 litres).
- Bulk tankers transporting petroleum or dangerous petroleum in bulk within specified quantity ranges (not less than 180 litres but not exceeding 5,400 litres, and then higher bands).
- Higher quantity bands for bulk tankers with increasing fees as the quantity increases.
Under the extract, the fees are as follows:
- Section 2(a): For lorries transporting petroleum in cans or drums (or dangerous petroleum in cans or drums) in a quantity ≥ 180 litres and ≤ 4,500 litres: $50.00.
- Section 2(b): For bulk tankers transporting petroleum in bulk (or dangerous petroleum in bulk) in a quantity ≥ 180 litres and ≤ 5,400 litres: $50.00.
- Section 2(c)(i): For bulk tankers transporting petroleum or dangerous petroleum in bulk in a quantity > 5,400 litres and ≤ 10,800 litres: $60.00.
- Section 2(c)(ii): For bulk tankers transporting petroleum or dangerous petroleum in bulk in a quantity > 10,800 litres and ≤ 16,300 litres: $72 (as shown in the extract).
- Section 2(c)(iii): For bulk tankers transporting petroleum or dangerous petroleum in bulk in a quantity > 16,300 litres and ≤ 20,250 litres: $90.
- Section 2(c)(iv): For bulk tankers transporting petroleum or dangerous petroleum in bulk in a quantity > 20,250 litres and ≤ 27,000 litres: $120.
Important drafting and classification points for practitioners:
- Vehicle type matters: the fee differs between lorries carrying petroleum in cans or drums and bulk tankers carrying petroleum in bulk. A key legal/compliance question is how the licensing authority classifies the vehicle and the mode of carriage.
- Quantity bands are strict: the ranges use “not less than” and “not exceeding” for the lower bands, and “exceeding” for the upper bands. This can affect fee calculations at boundary values (e.g., exactly 5,400 litres falls into the first bulk tanker band, while 5,400 litres plus would fall into the next band).
- Annual fee is tied to the licence: the fee is “annual” and payable for a licence issued under the Petroleum Act or rules made thereunder. This implies that renewal cycles and licence duration should be aligned with the annual fee concept.
- Amendment reference: the extract includes “[S 140/92 wef 01/04/1992]”, indicating that the fee schedule (or at least part of it) was amended effective 1 April 1992. For legal work involving historical compliance, it is important to confirm which fee schedule applied at the relevant time.
Although the extract does not include enforcement or payment mechanics (e.g., due dates, penalties for late payment, refund rules), those matters typically appear either in the Petroleum Act itself or in other subsidiary rules. The Fees Rules nonetheless remain central because they define the amount payable once the licence classification is established.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Rules are short and consist of at least two provisions in the extract:
- Section 1 (Citation): sets the short title.
- Section 2 (Fees): provides the annual fee schedule based on vehicle type and quantity of petroleum/dangerous petroleum transported.
There are no additional parts or complex sub-structures shown in the extract. The fee schedule is embedded directly in Section 2, with sub-paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) and further sub-division within (c) for higher bulk tanker quantity bands.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
These Rules apply to persons who hold (or seek) a licence under the Petroleum Act (and related rules) for the land transport of petroleum or dangerous petroleum using specified vehicle types. The fee is payable “for a licence … in respect of a vehicle used for transporting” petroleum/dangerous petroleum.
Accordingly, the practical scope includes operators of lorries carrying petroleum/dangerous petroleum in cans or drums, and operators of bulk tankers carrying petroleum/dangerous petroleum in bulk. It also extends to compliance teams and legal advisers who must ensure that the licence application (and renewal) correctly reflects the vehicle category and the quantity band relevant to the transport activity.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Petroleum (Transport by Land — Fees) Rules are limited in length, they have real operational significance. In regulated industries, fees are not merely administrative: they affect the cost of compliance and can become a focal point in disputes about licence classification and renewal charges.
From a legal practitioner’s perspective, the Rules are important because they provide a clear statutory fee matrix that can be used to challenge incorrect charging. For example, if an operator is charged at a higher fee band, counsel may need to examine whether the authority correctly classified the vehicle as a bulk tanker versus a lorries in cans/drums, and whether the quantity falls within the correct “not exceeding” or “exceeding” thresholds.
Additionally, the reference to an amendment effective 1 April 1992 underscores that fee schedules can change over time. Where a matter involves historical periods (e.g., arrears, audits, or retrospective enforcement), practitioners should verify the applicable version of the Rules and the effective date of any amendments.
Related Legislation
- Petroleum Act (Chapter 229), including Section 28 (authorising the making of these Rules)
- Other Petroleum subsidiary legislation governing licensing conditions and transport requirements (not provided in the extract)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Petroleum (Transport by Land — Fees) Rules for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.