Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) (Exemption) Order 2017
- Act Code: RTA1961-S794-2017
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276), section 142
- Enacting Formula / Maker: Minister for Transport
- Date Made: 29 December 2017
- Commencement: 30 December 2017
- Current Version: Current version as at 27 March 2026 (per the legislation portal)
- Key Provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Definitions); Section 3 (Exemption)
- Specified Vehicle: Vehicle bearing registration number SG5999Z
- Specified Bus / Bus Service Definition: A bus service operated by a Class 1 bus service licence holder under contract with the Land Transport Authority of Singapore
What Is This Legislation About?
The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) (Exemption) Order 2017 (“the Exemption Order”) is a targeted legal instrument that temporarily carves out a specific exemption from certain road traffic rules for a particular bus vehicle, identified by its registration number SG5999Z. In practical terms, it allows that specified bus to be used to operate a defined “bus service” without complying with certain specified requirements in the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules.
The Exemption Order does not create a general relaxation of road traffic law. Instead, it is narrow in both scope and duration of application: the exemption applies only while the specified bus is being used to operate the bus service. Outside that operational context, the general rules would continue to apply.
Finally, the exemption is not unconditional. It is expressly subject to a continuing insurance policy requirement. This reflects a common regulatory approach: where operational flexibility is granted, the law seeks to preserve risk coverage for property damage and personal injury arising from the bus’s use.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal identification of the instrument and its effective date. The Order is cited as the “Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) (Exemption) Order 2017” and comes into operation on 30 December 2017. For practitioners, this matters when assessing whether any non-compliance occurred before or after commencement, and for determining the applicable regulatory framework at the relevant time.
Section 2 (Definitions) defines two critical terms that control the scope of the exemption: “bus service” and “specified bus”. The definition of “bus service” is structured around licensing and contracting arrangements. Specifically, it means a bus service operated:
- by a bus operator holding a Class 1 bus service licence under the Bus Services Industry Act 2015; and
- under a contract with the Land Transport Authority of Singapore for the carriage of passengers on the specified bus.
This definition is important because it ties the exemption to the regulated bus contracting and licensing regime. A vehicle may be the “specified bus” by registration number, but the exemption only applies when it is being used to operate a “bus service” meeting the statutory definition—i.e., the operator must be appropriately licensed and the service must be under the relevant LTA contract.
Section 2 also defines “specified bus” as the vehicle bearing registration number SG5999Z. This is the anchor of the exemption: the Order is vehicle-specific, not fleet-wide.
Section 3 (Exemption) is the operative provision. It provides that, subject to sub-paragraph (2), certain rules in the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules do not apply to the specified bus while it is being used to operate the bus service.
Under Section 3(1), the exemption applies to the specified bus in relation to:
- Rule 6(1)
- Rule 75(3)
- Rule 77(1)(d)
Although the extract provided does not reproduce the content of these referenced rules, the legal effect is clear: the specified bus is exempt from compliance with those particular rules during the relevant operational period (i.e., while it is being used to operate the bus service). For lawyers, the key task is to consult the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules (R 9) to identify precisely what those rules require, and then map the exemption to the factual circumstances of the bus’s use.
Section 3(2) (Insurance condition) imposes a continuing condition on the exemption. The exemption in Section 3(1) is subject to the condition that there must be, at all times, a policy of insurance in relation to the specified bus insuring against:
- damage to property caused by or arising out of the use of the specified bus; and
- death of, or bodily injury sustained by, any person caused by or arising out of the use of the specified bus.
This condition is legally significant in two ways. First, it is an ongoing requirement (“at all times”), not a one-off compliance step. Second, it is framed in terms of liabilities arising out of the use of the bus, aligning with the typical compulsory insurance rationale in road traffic regulation. If the insurance lapses or does not cover the required categories, the exemption may cease to be available, potentially exposing the operator to regulatory breach and related enforcement consequences.
From a litigation and compliance perspective, the insurance condition is likely to be the most evidentially relevant part of the exemption. Practitioners should ensure that documentation (policy schedules, endorsements, effective dates, and coverage limits) is maintained and that the policy is demonstrably “in force at all times” during the period the bus is operating the defined bus service.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Exemption Order is structured as a short, three-section instrument:
Section 1 sets out the citation and commencement. Section 2 provides definitions that determine the scope of the exemption—particularly the meaning of “bus service” and identification of the “specified bus” by registration number. Section 3 contains the exemption itself, including the operational limitation (the exemption applies only while the specified bus is used to operate the defined bus service) and the key condition (continuous insurance coverage).
Notably, the Order does not include detailed procedural steps (such as applications, reporting, or renewal mechanisms). Instead, it operates as a direct legal carve-out, subject to the insurance condition and the defined factual circumstances.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
In substance, the Exemption Order applies to the specified bus (SG5999Z) when it is being used to operate a bus service as defined. The exemption is therefore relevant to the bus operator who holds the required Class 1 bus service licence and who operates the service under a contract with the Land Transport Authority of Singapore for the carriage of passengers on that specified bus.
While the Order is addressed to the legal status of the bus’s compliance with certain road traffic rules, the practical impact falls on those responsible for ensuring that the bus meets the regulatory requirements—or, where an exemption applies, that the exemption conditions are satisfied. This includes compliance teams, fleet managers, and legal counsel advising on regulatory risk, as well as insurers and parties involved in maintaining the required policy coverage.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Exemption Order is important because it demonstrates how Singapore’s road traffic regulatory framework can be precisely calibrated through subsidiary legislation. Rather than amending the general rules, the Minister uses the power under the Road Traffic Act to exempt a particular vehicle from specified requirements, but only in a defined operational context.
For practitioners, the legal value lies in the combination of (i) specificity (a single registration number) and (ii) conditionality (continuous insurance). This structure reduces ambiguity: the exemption is not meant to be applied broadly, and it is not meant to operate without risk coverage. When advising clients, counsel should focus on whether the factual matrix fits the defined “bus service” and whether the insurance condition is satisfied at all times.
From an enforcement standpoint, the exemption can be both a shield and a potential vulnerability. If the bus is used outside the defined bus service context, or if the insurance condition is not met, the exemption may not protect the operator from allegations of non-compliance with the referenced rules. Accordingly, robust compliance governance—especially around insurance validity and operational deployment—is essential.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276) — in particular, section 142 (power to make exemption orders)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules (R 9) — referenced rules 6(1), 75(3), and 77(1)(d)
- Bus Services Industry Act 2015 — definition of Class 1 bus service licence used in the “bus service” definition
- Land Transport Authority of Singapore contracting framework (referenced through the definition of “bus service”)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) (Exemption) Order 2017 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.