Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Exemption from Sections 10(1) and 27(2)) Order 2013
- Act Code: RTA1961-S143-2013
- Legislative Type: Subsidiary Legislation (Order)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276), section 142
- Enacting Instrument No.: S 143/2013
- Commencement: Deemed to have come into operation on 25 February 2013
- Key Provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Exemption)
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026 (per provided extract)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Road Traffic (Exemption from Sections 10(1) and 27(2)) Order 2013 is a targeted exemption order made under the Road Traffic Act. In plain terms, it temporarily carves out a specific class of vehicles from certain statutory requirements that would otherwise apply under the Act.
The Order is not a general reform of road traffic regulation. Instead, it addresses a particular administrative and regulatory transition involving the vehicle quota system and certificates of entitlement (COEs). It does so by exempting qualifying vehicles from two provisions of the Road Traffic Act—namely section 10(1) (to the extent it relates to the keeping of the vehicle) and section 27(2).
Practically, the Order is designed to prevent disruption for vehicles whose COEs were cancelled upon expiry and then renewed under a specified application window, following amendments to the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules in 2013. It reflects a common legislative technique: using an exemption order to ensure continuity and fairness during a regulatory change.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal name of the Order and establishes its effective date. Although the Order was “made” on 12 March 2013, it is “deemed to have come into operation on 25th February 2013.” This backdating matters for compliance and enforcement: it means that qualifying vehicles are treated as exempt from the relevant statutory provisions from 25 February 2013, not only from the date the Order was signed.
Section 2 (Exemption) is the operative provision. It states that “any vehicle” meeting a defined set of criteria will be exempt from sections 10(1) and 27(2) of the Road Traffic Act. The exemption is conditional and depends on both (i) the vehicle category and (ii) the Registrar’s actions regarding the vehicle’s certificate of entitlement.
First, the vehicle must fall within the category referred to in rule 3(1)(c) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31). While the extract does not reproduce the content of that rule, the reference indicates that the exemption is limited to a particular quota-system category of vehicles. This is important for practitioners: the exemption is not “all vehicles” or even “all COE vehicles,” but only those within the specified category.
Second, the vehicle must satisfy two time-sensitive conditions relating to the certificate of entitlement:
- Condition (a): Between 25 February 2013 and 13 March 2013 (both dates inclusive), the Registrar must have cancelled the registration of the vehicle upon the expiry of a certificate of entitlement that was valid for 5 years.
- Condition (b): On or after 13 March 2013, the Registrar must have renewed the certificate of entitlement pursuant to an application for renewal made on or before 19 March 2013 (or such other date as the Registrar may specify in a particular case).
Section 2 further clarifies that the renewal must be made under the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules as amended by the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2013 (G.N. No. S 142/2013). This ties the exemption to a specific amendment package and suggests that the legal basis for renewal (and the administrative consequences) changed in March 2013.
Finally, the exemption is expressed in terms of the Road Traffic Act provisions from which the vehicle is exempt:
- Section 10(1) is exempted “insofar as it relates to the keeping of the vehicle.” This indicates that section 10(1) likely contains multiple elements, but the exemption is limited to the aspect concerning keeping/possession/continued operation of the vehicle. The phrase “insofar as” is a statutory drafting technique used to narrow the scope of an exemption to particular parts of a provision.
- Section 27(2) is fully exempted for the qualifying vehicle. Although the extract does not set out section 27(2), in practice such provisions often relate to offences or consequences if a vehicle is kept or used without meeting statutory conditions. The exemption therefore likely prevents liability or enforcement action under that subsection for the qualifying period and circumstances.
In summary, section 2 creates a narrow, fact-specific exemption: vehicles in a defined quota category whose registrations were cancelled due to COE expiry within a specified window, but whose COEs were subsequently renewed under the amended quota rules through an application made by a specified deadline, are exempt from the relevant Road Traffic Act requirements.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured as a short instrument with two sections:
- Section 1 deals with citation and commencement, including the backdated effective date.
- Section 2 sets out the exemption, including the vehicle category reference, the Registrar’s cancellation and renewal conditions, and the specific Road Traffic Act provisions from which exemption applies.
There are no schedules or complex procedural provisions in the extract. The operative content is entirely contained in the conditions and cross-references in section 2.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to vehicles that meet the criteria in section 2. However, in legal practice, the exemption will matter to the vehicle owner, registered keeper, or any party responsible for compliance with the Road Traffic Act obligations relating to keeping or maintaining the vehicle in accordance with statutory requirements.
The exemption is also contingent on actions by the Registrar (under the quota system framework). Therefore, even if a vehicle owner applied for renewal, the exemption only applies if the Registrar’s cancellation and renewal events fall within the specified dates and are processed under the amended rules (including the Amendment No. 2 Rules 2013).
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Order is brief, it is significant because it addresses a compliance risk during a regulatory transition. When COEs expire and registrations are cancelled, owners may face immediate legal consequences under the Road Traffic Act. If the regulatory framework is amended to allow renewal in certain circumstances, there can be a gap between (i) cancellation upon expiry and (ii) renewal under the amended rules. This Order appears designed to close that gap by ensuring that qualifying vehicles are not treated as non-compliant solely because of the timing of cancellation and renewal.
For practitioners, the key value of the Order lies in its precision. It provides a clear test—vehicle category plus Registrar’s cancellation and renewal timing plus application deadline—so that counsel can assess whether a particular vehicle qualifies for exemption. This can be crucial in disputes involving enforcement actions, notices, or charges that reference the Road Traffic Act provisions from which exemption is claimed.
Additionally, the backdated commencement date (deemed operation from 25 February 2013) can materially affect outcomes. If an enforcement action or compliance assessment occurred between 25 February 2013 and the date the Order was made, the exemption may still apply retroactively, depending on the vehicle’s facts and whether the statutory conditions are satisfied.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276) — especially section 10(1) and section 27(2), and the authorising power in section 142.
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31) — especially rule 3(1)(c).
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2013 — G.N. No. S 142/2013.
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Road Traffic (Exemption from Sections 10(1) and 27(2)) Order 2013 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.