Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Exemption for Use of Vehicle on Specified Footway — Marina Bay) Order 2025
- Act Code: RTA1961-S20-2025
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act 1961 (s 142)
- Related/Constituent Authority: Urban Redevelopment Authority Act 1989 (definition of URA)
- Commencement / Period in force: 15 January 2025 to 15 January 2028 (both dates inclusive)
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Provisions: Definitions (s 2); Exemption for specified motor vehicles (s 3); Exemption for forklift/boom lift/scissor lift (s 4); Exemption for lorry crane (s 5); Schedule (specified footways delineated by black-coloured lines)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Road Traffic (Exemption for Use of Vehicle on Specified Footway — Marina Bay) Order 2025 (“the Order”) creates a controlled legal pathway for certain vehicles to be driven or operated on a designated set of footways in the Marina Bay area. In general, Singapore’s road traffic framework restricts vehicle use on footways because footways are primarily for pedestrians and other non-vehicular users. This Order carves out a specific exemption from the relevant rule—Rule 28(1) of the Road Traffic Rules—for limited purposes connected to events managed or controlled by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
In plain language, the Order recognises that large-scale events may require the movement of people, goods, or equipment across pedestrian areas. Rather than requiring a blanket prohibition or ad hoc permissions, the Order sets out conditions that must be met before a vehicle can lawfully enter and travel on the specified footway. The conditions are designed to manage safety risks (for example, requiring a “safety officer” to be positioned ahead of the vehicle), limit speed, require giving way, and impose insurance and licensing requirements.
The Order is time-bound and geographically bounded. It applies only during the period 15 January 2025 to 15 January 2028, and only to “specified footways” delineated in the Schedule by black-coloured lines in maps. It also applies only to vehicles and operators that fall within the defined categories and meet the stated training, authorisation, and operational constraints.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Definitions and the “specified footway” concept (Section 2)
The Order’s scope turns on three core definitions: “specified footway”, “specified motor vehicle”, and “safety officer”. A “specified footway” is any footway of a road delineated by black-coloured lines in the Schedule maps. This is critical for practitioners: compliance is not merely about location in Marina Bay generally, but about whether the relevant footway is within the delineated area.
The “safety officer” is a person authorised by the URA to ensure the safety of other users of the specified footway while the relevant vehicle is driven on that footway. This is not a generic safety role; it is an authorised function. Practically, event organisers and vehicle operators must ensure that the safety officer is properly authorised and positioned as required by the Order.
“Specified motor vehicle” is defined by exclusion: it covers motor vehicles other than a list of excluded categories (including motorised personal mobility devices, power-assisted bicycles, motorised wheelchairs, mobility scooters, certain autonomous/robotic machines, and—importantly—forklifts, boom lifts, scissor lifts, and lorry cranes). This structure matters because different exemptions apply to different vehicle types: Section 3 for “specified motor vehicles” (excluding the listed equipment types), Section 4 for forklifts/boom lifts/scissor lifts, and Section 5 for lorry cranes.
2. Exemption for driving and riding a “specified motor vehicle” (Section 3)
Section 3 provides that Rule 28(1) of the Road Traffic Rules does not apply to an individual who drives or rides a specified motor vehicle on a specified footway, but only if all conditions are satisfied.
(a) URA authorisation tied to a “specified event”
The individual must be authorised by the URA to drive the specified motor vehicle for purposes connected with a “specified event”. The Order defines “specified event” as any event or series of related activities conducted on land under URA control or management. The permitted purposes include: transporting individuals or things; selling food or beverages; carrying out maintenance works; and exhibiting or displaying the vehicle. This is a narrow purpose test: the exemption is not available for ordinary commercial driving on footways.
(b) Operational safety controls
Several conditions are designed to reduce risk to pedestrians and other footway users:
- The vehicle must be driven only for the permitted purposes.
- A safety officer must be in front of the motor vehicle and within the sight of the individual at all times the vehicle is on the specified footway.
- The vehicle must carry either a blinker or a hazard light.
- During night hours (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.), every lamp carried by the vehicle (including the blinker/hazard light) must be lit in a manner visible to other users.
- The speed must not exceed 10 km/h.
- The driver must give way to other users of the specified footway.
These requirements collectively create a “low-speed, high-visibility, supervised movement” regime.
(c) Licensing and insurance
The driver must possess a valid driving licence granted under the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licences) Rules authorising the individual to drive the class of the specified motor vehicle. In addition, there must be in force an insurance policy covering liability for death or bodily injury to persons other than the driver or passengers, and property damage to persons other than the driver or passengers, arising out of use of the vehicle in connection with the specified event. The policy must be underwritten by an insurer lawfully carrying on insurance business in Singapore. This insurance condition is a significant compliance anchor: without it, the exemption does not apply.
3. Exemption for forklifts, boom lifts, and scissor lifts (Section 4)
Section 4 extends the exemption to individuals driving forklifts, boom lifts, or scissor lifts on a specified footway, again disapplying Rule 28(1) only when all conditions are met. The structure mirrors Section 3 but adds training requirements and vehicle-specific authorisation.
(a) Authorisation plus WSQ training
For each equipment type, the driver must be authorised by the URA to use the equipment to transport anything in connection with a specified event, and must have attended and passed the relevant Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) course:
- Forklift: “Operate Forklift Course”
- Boom lift: “Operate Boom Lift Course”
- Scissor lift: “Operate Scissor Lift Course”
This is a practitioner-relevant point: the exemption is not merely about having a general licence; it is contingent on passing specified WSQ training.
(b) Purpose limitation and safety officer positioning
The equipment may be used only for the purpose of transporting anything in connection with the specified event (as tied to the URA authorisation). As with Section 3, a safety officer must be in front of the equipment and within sight of the operator whenever it is driven on the specified footway.
(c) Visibility, speed, and giving way
The equipment must carry either a blinker or hazard light, and all lamps (including the blinker/hazard light) must be lit between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Speed is capped at 10 km/h, and the operator must give way to other footway users.
(d) Insurance
Insurance coverage must be in force for death/bodily injury to persons other than the driver or passengers, and property damage to persons other than the driver or passengers, arising out of use in connection with the specified event. The insurer must be lawfully carrying on insurance business in Singapore.
4. Exemption for lorry cranes (Section 5)
Section 5 provides a similar exemption for driving a lorry crane on a specified footway. Based on the extract, the key conditions include:
- URA authorisation to use the lorry crane to transport any individual or thing in connection with a specified event.
- Attendance and passing of the relevant WSQ course: “Operate Lorry Crane Course”.
- Use only for the authorised purpose.
- Safety officer positioned in front and within sight.
- Carrying a blinker or hazard light, with lamps lit between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Speed not exceeding 10 km/h and giving way to other users.
- Insurance in force covering death/bodily injury and property damage to persons other than driver/passengers, with underwriting by a Singapore-lawful insurer.
Although the provided text is truncated after the beginning of Section 5, the legislative pattern strongly indicates that the remaining conditions align with the same risk-management framework used in Sections 3 and 4.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a straightforward, compliance-oriented format typical of Singapore subsidiary legislation:
Enacting Formula establishes that the Minister for Home Affairs makes the Order under powers conferred by section 142 of the Road Traffic Act 1961.
Section 1 states the citation and the period in force (15 January 2025 to 15 January 2028 inclusive).
Section 2 provides definitions that determine scope: “safety officer”, “specified event”, “specified footway”, and “specified motor vehicle” (including the exclusion list).
Sections 3 to 5 create three separate exemption regimes, each disapplying Rule 28(1) of the Road Traffic Rules for different vehicle categories, subject to enumerated conditions.
The Schedule identifies the “specified footways” by reference to maps with black-coloured lines. This Schedule is essential for practical application and should be consulted when advising event organisers, contractors, or operators.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to “an individual” who drives or rides the relevant vehicle types on a specified footway, but only when the individual is acting under URA authorisation for a specified event and meets the conditions in the relevant section. It therefore affects multiple stakeholders: vehicle operators, event organisers, contractors, and URA-authorised safety officers.
From a legal risk perspective, the exemption is not automatic. It is conditional on (i) correct authorisation by URA, (ii) correct training where required (WSQ courses for forklifts, boom lifts, scissor lifts, and lorry cranes), (iii) compliance with operational constraints (speed, giving way, visibility), and (iv) insurance coverage. If any condition fails, the exemption may not apply, and the underlying prohibition in Rule 28(1) would likely govern.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it balances two competing policy goals: maintaining pedestrian safety on footways while enabling practical logistics for major events in a controlled Marina Bay environment. For practitioners, the Order provides a clear checklist of conditions that can be operationalised into event compliance procedures, contractor requirements, and risk assessments.
In enforcement terms, the Order’s conditional design means that compliance evidence will matter. For example, proving that a safety officer was authorised and positioned correctly, that the vehicle carried the required warning lights, that speed limits were observed, and that insurance was in force at the time of use will be central to any defence or compliance review.
Commercially, the Order reduces friction for event-related transport and equipment movement by creating a predictable legal basis for footway driving. However, it also imposes non-trivial obligations—especially WSQ training and insurance—so legal advisers should ensure that event planning timelines accommodate training and authorisation lead times, and that insurance policies are drafted to match the Order’s coverage requirements.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act 1961 (authorising provision: s 142)
- Road Traffic Rules (Rule 28(1) is disapplied by this Order)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licences) Rules (licensing requirement referenced in s 3)
- Urban Redevelopment Authority Act 1989 (establishes URA; relevant for the definition of URA)
- Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses referenced for equipment operators (Operate Forklift/Boom Lift/Scissor Lift/Lorry Crane)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Road Traffic (Exemption for Use of Vehicle on Specified Footway — Marina Bay) Order 2025 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.