Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Authorisation of Use) Notification 2013
- Act Code: RTA1961-S314-2013
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276)
- Enacting Authority: Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA)
- Enacting Formula (Power Used): Powers under section 5(2) of the Road Traffic Act
- Citation: “Road Traffic (Authorisation of Use) Notification 2013”
- Key Provision: Authorisation for specified vehicle(s) to be used on roads despite non-compliance with specified subsidiary rules
- Primary Vehicle Mentioned (Extract): Registration number BKU6672
- Authorised Period (Extract): 23 May 2013 to 30 May 2013 (inclusive)
- Conditions (Extract): (i) insurance policy in force; (ii) escort by auxiliary police officers at all times when driven
- Relevant Subsidiary Rules Referenced: Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules (R 9) and Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Lighting) Rules (R 10)
- Made Date (Extract): 20 May 2013
- Current Version Note: The extract indicates the “current version” as at 27 Mar 2026, with the original notification dated 22 May 2013 (SL 314/2013)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Road Traffic (Authorisation of Use) Notification 2013 is a targeted Singapore subsidiary instrument made under the Road Traffic Act. In plain language, it allows a particular vehicle—identified by its registration number—to be used on public roads for a limited period even though it does not comply with certain technical requirements under the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules and the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Lighting) Rules.
This type of notification is best understood as a temporary, case-specific “authorisation” or “dispensation” mechanism. Rather than amending the general rules that apply to all vehicles, the notification creates a narrow exception for the named vehicle during the specified dates. The exception is not unconditional: it is expressly tied to safety and risk-management conditions, including insurance coverage and police escort requirements.
For practitioners, the key point is that the notification does not rewrite the underlying technical standards. Instead, it authorises the vehicle’s road use notwithstanding non-compliance with the referenced rules, but only within the authorisation window and only if the stated conditions are satisfied at all times.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the short title of the notification. While this is usually administrative, it matters for legal referencing in correspondence, enforcement actions, and submissions. If a party needs to rely on the authorisation, the citation is the formal identifier of the instrument.
Section 2 (Authorised use of vehicle) is the operative provision. Sub-paragraph (1) sets the scope of the authorisation: it applies to the vehicle bearing registration number BKU6672. The authorisation is expressly “subject to sub-paragraph (2)” and is limited to a defined period: from 23rd May 2013 to 30th May 2013 (both dates inclusive). Outside these dates, the authorisation does not operate, and the general compliance requirements under the referenced rules would apply in the ordinary way.
Sub-paragraph (1) also identifies the basis for the dispensation. The vehicle is authorised for use on any road in Singapore despite not complying with two specific sets of rules: (a) the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules (R 9) and (b) the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Lighting) Rules (R 10). The extract does not reproduce the content of R 9 and R 10, but the legal effect is clear: the notification is designed to permit road use even when the vehicle fails to meet those particular construction/use and lighting requirements.
Sub-paragraph (2) (Conditions) is crucial. The authorisation is conditional on two requirements that must be satisfied “at all times” when the vehicle is used during the authorised period:
(a) Insurance requirement. There must be in force at all times a policy of insurance, relating to the vehicle, insuring against liability for damage to property and for the death of, or bodily injury sustained by, any person caused by or arising out of the use of the vehicle. This condition aligns the authorisation with the broader public policy of ensuring that victims and third parties have recourse to insurance coverage where harm occurs.
(b) Escort requirement. The vehicle must be escorted by auxiliary police officers at all times when it is driven on any road in Singapore. This is a strong operational condition. It indicates that the dispensation is justified by a safety management plan: even though the vehicle does not comply with certain technical standards, the presence of auxiliary police officers is intended to mitigate risk through supervision and control.
From a compliance and enforcement perspective, both conditions are drafted with strict temporal language (“at all times”). A practitioner should therefore treat any lapse—such as an insurance policy expiring or the absence of auxiliary police escort while the vehicle is being driven—as potentially fatal to reliance on the authorisation.
Finally, the notification includes the making clause (“Made this 20th day of May 2013”) and identifies the signatory: Michael Lim Choo San, Chairman, Land Transport Authority of Singapore. This confirms the instrument’s formal validity and the authority of the maker.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This notification is structured in a simple, two-part format typical of targeted authorisation instruments:
Part/Section 1: Citation—sets out the short title.
Part/Section 2: Authorised use of vehicle—contains the substantive authorisation and the conditions. Within section 2, the structure is split into (1) the scope (vehicle, non-compliance rules, and authorised dates) and (2) the conditions (insurance and auxiliary police escort).
Notably, the extract indicates that the notification is a standalone subsidiary instrument rather than a multi-part code. There are no schedules or complex procedural steps in the extract; the legal work is concentrated in the identification of the vehicle, the time window, the specific rules from which compliance is waived, and the safety conditions that must be maintained.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The notification applies to the named vehicle—registration number BKU6672—and, by extension, to the parties who arrange or permit its use on Singapore roads during the authorised period. While the text does not expressly list “owners”, “drivers”, or “operators”, the practical effect is that anyone seeking to drive or deploy the vehicle on public roads during 23–30 May 2013 would need to ensure the conditions are met.
In particular, the vehicle owner (or the person responsible for maintaining insurance and arranging compliance measures) must ensure the insurance policy is in force at all times. The driver and the operational coordinator must ensure the vehicle is escorted by auxiliary police officers at all times when driven. Because the conditions are framed as continuing obligations “at all times”, the notification’s protection is not merely a matter of having paperwork; it is a matter of real-time compliance during each trip.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the notification is narrow in scope—limited to one vehicle and a single week—it is legally significant because it demonstrates how Singapore manages situations where a vehicle may temporarily be unable to meet certain technical standards. Rather than leaving the vehicle unusable, the law provides a controlled pathway to authorise road use while imposing compensating safeguards.
For legal practitioners, the notification is important in three common contexts:
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement: If a vehicle is found to be non-compliant with R 9 or R 10, the notification may be relevant to whether the vehicle’s road use was authorised during the specified period and whether the conditions were satisfied.
- Liability and insurance: The insurance condition is explicit. In disputes involving damage or injury, parties may need to establish whether the required policy was “in force at all times” and whether the authorisation framework was properly engaged.
- Operational risk management: The auxiliary police escort requirement is a concrete operational control. Failure to meet it could undermine reliance on the authorisation and may affect how responsibility is allocated among owner, driver, and any coordinating parties.
More broadly, the notification illustrates the interplay between general traffic safety rules and the administrative flexibility provided by the Road Traffic Act. The authorising power in section 5(2) allows the LTA to make specific authorisations, but the notification’s drafting makes clear that dispensation is not a blanket exemption; it is a conditional exception designed to preserve public safety and third-party protection.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276) — in particular, section 5(2) (the enabling provision for making this notification)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules — referenced rule: R 9
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Lighting) Rules — referenced rule: R 10
- Road Traffic (Authorisation of Use) Notification 2013 — SL 314/2013 (the instrument itself)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Road Traffic (Authorisation of Use) Notification 2013 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.