Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Exemption) Order 2006
- Act Code: RTA1961-S438-2006
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276)
- Enacting Power: Section 142 of the Road Traffic Act
- Commencement: Deemed to have come into operation on 12 July 2006
- Order Date (Made): 21 July 2006
- Key Provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Exemption)
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026 (per the legislation extract)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Exemption) Order 2006 is a narrowly targeted legal instrument made under the Road Traffic Act. In plain language, it grants a specific exemption for a particular motor vehicle from a restriction in the quota system rules governing Certificates of Entitlement (COE). The quota system is Singapore’s mechanism for regulating access to car ownership through COEs, which are subject to renewal and renewal-related conditions.
This Order does not create a general policy change for all vehicle owners. Instead, it applies to one identified vehicle—by its registration number and its chassis and engine numbers—and to one identified person (Mr Butt Mohammed Naeem). The exemption is designed to allow the vehicle to continue with a further renewal of its COE even though the general rules would otherwise prohibit such further renewal after expiry.
Accordingly, the Order is best understood as an administrative/legal “exception” to the standard quota system framework. It is conditional: the exemption is granted only if specified monetary levies and fees are paid, including a “special levy” and other levy/fee components referenced in related subsidiary rules.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1: Citation and commencement provides the formal identification of the instrument and its effective date. The Order may be cited as the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Exemption) Order 2006. It is “deemed to have come into operation on 12th July 2006.” This “deemed” commencement language is legally significant: it means that, for legal effect, the exemption is treated as starting from that earlier date, even though the Order was made on 21 July 2006.
Section 2: Exemption is the operative provision. It states that the vehicle bearing registration number EC5386D, with chassis and engine number B9117857RR0, and belonging to Mr Butt Mohammed Naeem, “shall be exempted” from rule 24(2) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31). The exemption is “in so far as it prohibits a further renewal of a certificate of entitlement on its expiry.”
In practical terms, rule 24(2) (as referenced) is the provision that prevents a further COE renewal once the COE expires, subject to the general scheme of the quota system. This Order carves out an exception: it permits a further renewal that would otherwise be barred. The exemption is therefore not about granting a COE initially; rather, it is about enabling an additional renewal beyond what the general rule allows.
Conditions attached to the exemption are central. Section 2 makes the exemption conditional upon the vehicle owner satisfying three categories of payments:
(a) Payment of a special levy of $3,136.
This is a fixed sum stated in the Order. The amount is the price of the exemption, reflecting that the COE quota system is designed to manage demand and that exceptions are monetised through additional charges.
(b) Payment of the levy and fee payable under rule 24A of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules.
This ties the exemption to another subsidiary rule (rule 24A), indicating that the exemption is not a standalone payment. Instead, the owner must also pay whatever levy and fee rule 24A requires in the relevant renewal context.
(c) Payment of fees payable under rules 33A and 38A of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules.
These references broaden the financial obligations beyond the quota system rules alone, incorporating registration and licensing fee components. For practitioners, this means compliance is multi-layered: the exemption triggers obligations across different rule sets.
The Order’s structure is typical of targeted exemptions: it identifies the subject vehicle and owner, specifies the exact rule being disapplied (rule 24(2)), and then conditions the exemption on payment of specified levies and fees. If the conditions are not met, the exemption would not operate as intended.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
Despite being a subsidiary legislation instrument, the Order is extremely short and consists of only two substantive provisions:
1. Citation and commencement: sets out the name of the Order and its effective date (deemed commencement on 12 July 2006).
2. Exemption: identifies the vehicle and owner, states the rule being exempted from (rule 24(2) of the quota system rules), explains the scope of the exemption (further COE renewal on expiry), and lists the conditions (payments of a special levy and other levies/fees under specified rules).
There are no “Parts” or detailed schedules in the extract. The operative content is embedded directly in section 2, with the vehicle identification and payment conditions stated in the text.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies only to a specific vehicle and specific owner as identified in section 2. The vehicle is uniquely identified by its registration number (EC5386D) and its chassis and engine number (B9117857RR0). The owner is identified as Mr Butt Mohammed Naeem. As a result, the exemption is not available to other vehicles or other persons, even if they are similarly situated in terms of COE renewal history.
In legal practice, this means the Order is best treated as a bespoke exemption instrument. It would typically be relevant when advising on whether a particular vehicle can lawfully proceed with a further COE renewal that would otherwise be prohibited under rule 24(2). It also implies that any transfer of ownership or change in vehicle particulars could raise questions about whether the exemption remains applicable—because the exemption is tied to the identified owner and vehicle particulars as stated in the Order.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Order is narrow, it illustrates how Singapore’s COE quota system can be administered with controlled flexibility. The quota system is designed to regulate vehicle population and manage demand. General rules such as rule 24(2) impose limits on further COE renewal. This Order demonstrates that, where policy or administrative considerations justify it, the law can permit an exception—provided that the exemption is conditional and monetised through additional levies and fees.
For practitioners, the key importance lies in certainty and compliance. When advising a client on COE renewal options, it is crucial to determine whether the general prohibition applies. This Order provides a clear legal basis for a further renewal for the specified vehicle, but only if the stated payments are made. The explicit cross-references to other subsidiary rules (rule 24A of the quota system rules; rules 33A and 38A of the registration and licensing rules) are particularly important for calculating total costs and ensuring that all statutory conditions are satisfied.
From an enforcement perspective, the conditional nature of the exemption means that the exemption is not automatic. If the special levy or the other levies/fees are not paid, the exemption would not be effective, and the general prohibition under rule 24(2) would likely continue to apply. Therefore, the Order is not merely a “permission slip”; it is a legally enforceable conditional exemption that must be implemented in accordance with the referenced fee/levy rules.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276) — in particular, section 142 (the authorising provision for making such orders)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31) — in particular:
- Rule 24(2) (the prohibition on further COE renewal on expiry, from which the vehicle is exempted)
- Rule 24A (levy and fee referenced as a condition of the exemption)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules (R 5) — in particular:
- Rules 33A and 38A (fees referenced as conditions of the exemption)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) (Exemption) Order 2006 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.