Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Exemption from Sections 10(1) and 27(2)) Order 2013
- Act Code: RTA1961-S143-2013
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act (Chapter 276), section 142
- Enacting Formula: Made by the Minister for Transport under powers in section 142 of the Road Traffic Act
- Citation: Road Traffic (Exemption from Sections 10(1) and 27(2)) Order 2013
- Commencement: Deemed to have come into operation on 25 February 2013
- Date Made: 12 March 2013
- Key Provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Exemption)
- Status (as provided): Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Related Legislation (as referenced): Road Traffic Act (Ch. 276); Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31); Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2013 (G.N. No. S 142/2013)
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 relieves a specific class of vehicles from certain legal obligations that would otherwise apply under the Road Traffic Act.
The exemption is not general. It is tied to a particular administrative and regulatory sequence involving the certificate of entitlement system under the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules. That system governs the availability and renewal of certificates of entitlement for vehicle registration in Singapore. The Order addresses a transitional period in early 2013, where the Registrar’s actions—cancelling and then renewing certificates of entitlement—occurred within defined dates.
Practically, the Order ensures that vehicles caught by this transitional administrative process are not penalised or constrained by the Road Traffic Act provisions that would normally apply. The exemption is therefore best understood as a compliance “bridge” to prevent unintended consequences during a regulatory amendment and renewal cycle.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the legal identity of the Order and its effective date. The Order may be cited as the Road Traffic (Exemption from Sections 10(1) and 27(2)) Order 2013. Importantly, it is deemed to have come into operation on 25 February 2013. This backdating matters: it means the exemption applies from that date, even though the Order was made on 12 March 2013.
Section 2 (Exemption) is the operative provision. It states that any vehicle falling within a defined category of vehicles under rule 3(1)(c) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31) is exempt from specified sections of the Road Traffic Act, but only if two conditions are met.
First, the vehicle must be one for which the Registrar cancelled the registration between 25 February 2013 and 13 March 2013 (both dates inclusive) upon the expiry of a certificate of entitlement. The certificate of entitlement in question is described as having been valid for 5 years. This condition captures vehicles whose entitlement expired during the transitional window and whose registration was therefore cancelled as a consequence of that expiry.
Second, after that cancellation, the Registrar must have renewed the certificate of entitlement on or after 13 March 2013. The renewal must be 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). 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).
Only when both conditions are satisfied does the exemption apply. The exemption is from:
- Section 10(1) of the Road Traffic Act, insofar as it relates to the keeping of the vehicle; and
- Section 27(2) of the Road Traffic Act.
While the extract does not reproduce the text of sections 10(1) and 27(2) of the Road Traffic Act, the drafting indicates that these provisions impose obligations or restrictions connected to the lawful keeping of a vehicle and other compliance requirements. The Order’s effect is to remove the legal force of those provisions for the specified vehicles during the relevant circumstances described.
Finally, the Order includes a formal “Made this” clause. It was made on 12 March 2013 by Pang Kin Keong, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Singapore.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Order is extremely concise and consists of two sections:
- Section 1 (Citation and commencement): sets out the name of the Order and its deemed commencement date (25 February 2013).
- Section 2 (Exemption): defines the class of vehicles and the factual conditions (date ranges and renewal/application requirements) under which the exemption from Road Traffic Act sections 10(1) and 27(2) applies.
There are no schedules or detailed procedural provisions in the extract. The operative mechanics are achieved through cross-references to the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules and to a specific amendment instrument (Amendment No. 2 Rules 2013). This structure is typical of targeted exemption orders: the legal effect is narrow, and the factual triggers are defined by reference to other regulatory instruments.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The exemption applies to vehicles that fall within the category described in rule 3(1)(c) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31). It is therefore not framed as applying directly to “drivers” or “owners” in the abstract; rather, it attaches to the status of the vehicle and the administrative history of its certificate of entitlement and registration.
In practical terms, the vehicles likely relate to owners or registered proprietors who experienced a certificate of entitlement expiry and subsequent cancellation of registration during the specified period, followed by renewal under the amended quota system rules. The Order’s conditions are anchored in actions by the Registrar (cancellation and renewal) and in the timing of the owner’s renewal application (made on or before 19 March 2013, or another date specified by the Registrar). Accordingly, the Order is most relevant to practitioners advising on compliance consequences, enforcement exposure, or the legality of vehicle “keeping” during the transitional window.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Order is short, it is legally significant because it addresses the risk of unintended non-compliance during a regulatory transition. When certificates of entitlement expire and registrations are cancelled, owners may temporarily fall into a position where strict application of the Road Traffic Act could create enforcement problems—particularly if renewal is processed after cancellation but within a structured administrative framework.
The Order’s backdated commencement (deemed operation from 25 February 2013) is also important. Without backdating, there could be a gap period between the expiry/cancellation and the making of the exemption order. By deeming commencement, the Order reduces the likelihood that affected vehicles would be treated as non-exempt for the earlier portion of the timeline.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the exemption from section 10(1) (insofar as it relates to the keeping of the vehicle) suggests that the law would otherwise restrict or regulate the continued keeping of a vehicle in circumstances where entitlement has expired and registration has been cancelled. The exemption from section 27(2) further indicates that another statutory obligation or prohibition would otherwise apply. For counsel, the key practical value is that the Order provides a clear legal basis to argue that certain vehicles should not be treated as breaching those provisions, provided the statutory conditions are met.
In addition, the Order’s reliance on specific date ranges and application deadlines makes it a document that must be handled carefully in casework. Practitioners should verify: (1) the vehicle’s classification under rule 3(1)(c); (2) the date of cancellation of registration upon expiry; (3) the date of renewal of the certificate of entitlement; and (4) the date the renewal application was made (or any Registrar-specified alternative date). If these elements align, the exemption is likely to be available.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act (Chapter 276) — in particular sections 10(1) and 27(2), and the enabling power in section 142.
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31) — in particular rule 3(1)(c).
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2013 (G.N. No. S 142/2013) — the amendment under which the relevant certificate of entitlement renewal must be made.
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.