Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022
- Act Code: RTA1961-S358-2022
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act 1961 (specifically, section 142)
- Enacting Formula / Power Source: Minister for Transport exercised powers under section 142 of the Road Traffic Act 1961
- Commencement: 6 May 2022
- Order Date (Made): 29 April 2022
- Legislative Identifier: SL 358/2022
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Exemption)
- Primary Rule Affected: Rule 5(1) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules (R 5)
- Vehicle Identifiers in the Exemption: Engine number 2UR2081740; chassis number UWG600001381
- Registered Owner Named: Peter Kwee Seng Chio
What Is This Legislation About?
The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022 (“the Order”) is a narrow, vehicle-specific exemption made under the Road Traffic Act 1961. In plain terms, it allows a particular motor vehicle—identified by its engine number and chassis number—to be treated differently from the general rule that would otherwise apply to vehicles more than three years old.
Although the title refers broadly to “vehicles more than 3 years old”, the operative effect of this Order is not to create a general category of exempt vehicles. Instead, it grants an exemption for one identified vehicle registered in the name of one named person. This is typical of certain subsidiary legislation instruments: they are used to implement targeted exemptions where the Minister (or the Minister’s delegate) considers it appropriate to depart from a standard regulatory requirement.
Practitioners should therefore read this Order as an administrative/legal mechanism that modifies the application of Rule 5(1) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules (R 5) for a specific vehicle. The Order does not, on its face, amend the underlying Rules; rather, it temporarily or conditionally disapplies the relevant Rule provision for the specified vehicle.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the legal identity and timing of the instrument. It states that the Order may be cited as the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022 and that it comes into operation on 6 May 2022. For practitioners, commencement matters because it determines when the exemption becomes legally effective and therefore when compliance with Rule 5(1) is no longer required (at least for the specified vehicle) after that date.
Section 2 (Exemption) is the operative clause. It states that Rule 5(1) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules (R 5) does not apply to the vehicle bearing engine number 2UR2081740 and chassis number UWG600001381 that is registered in the name of Peter Kwee Seng Chio.
In practical terms, the exemption is drafted in a “disapplication” style: the Rule is not merely modified; it is stated not to apply at all to the specified vehicle. This drafting approach is significant because it reduces ambiguity. If Rule 5(1) would otherwise impose a requirement (for example, a licensing, registration, or compliance condition tied to vehicles older than three years), then after commencement, that requirement is not legally applicable to the identified vehicle.
Another important point is the precision of the vehicle identification. The Order uses both engine number and chassis number. This dual identification reduces the risk of misapplication to the wrong vehicle. It also means that if either identifier is incorrect on the relevant records, the exemption may not be relied upon. For legal and compliance purposes, counsel should ensure that the vehicle’s particulars in the relevant systems (typically those maintained by the competent authority) match the identifiers stated in the Order.
Finally, the exemption is tied to the vehicle being registered in the name of the named person. This introduces an ownership/registration condition. If the vehicle is later transferred and registered under a different name, the question becomes whether the exemption continues to apply. The Order, as extracted, does not expressly address transfer scenarios. In the absence of an express continuation clause, a cautious approach is to treat the exemption as linked to the registration particulars at the time it is relied upon, and to consider whether a further exemption order would be required upon change of registration.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a very short form, consisting of an enacting formula and two substantive provisions.
First, the enacting formula records that the Minister for Transport makes the Order in exercise of powers conferred by section 142 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. This is the constitutional/legislative basis for the instrument.
Second, section 1 deals with citation and commencement. Third, section 2 sets out the exemption and specifies the exact vehicle and the exact Rule provision disapplied.
There are no schedules, definitions, or complex procedural provisions in the extracted text. The instrument is therefore best understood as a targeted legal directive rather than a comprehensive regulatory framework.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
On its face, the Order applies to a single vehicle—the one bearing engine number 2UR2081740 and chassis number UWG600001381—and only insofar as that vehicle is registered in the name of Peter Kwee Seng Chio. It does not create a class-wide exemption for all vehicles older than three years.
Accordingly, the practical “audience” of the Order is not the general driving public, but rather the vehicle owner (and potentially the vehicle’s insurer, dealer, or compliance advisers acting for the owner) and the regulatory administrators who must decide whether Rule 5(1) applies to that vehicle. For lawyers, the key is that the exemption is narrow and fact-specific: the legal effect depends on matching the vehicle identifiers and the registration name.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Order is short, it can be highly consequential for the affected owner and for compliance outcomes. Road traffic licensing and registration rules often have strict conditions, and a disapplication of a specific rule provision can determine whether a vehicle can be registered, licensed, or processed without meeting a particular requirement that would otherwise apply to older vehicles.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the Order provides legal certainty. If the competent authority or an enforcement officer were to treat Rule 5(1) as applicable to the specified vehicle, the owner could point to the Order as a binding legal instrument that overrides the general rule for that vehicle. This can reduce the risk of administrative delays, incorrect refusal of registration/licensing steps, or enforcement actions that would otherwise be based on the general rule.
For practitioners, the Order also illustrates how subsidiary legislation can be used to implement individualised exemptions. This is relevant when advising clients who face regulatory friction due to age-related requirements, documentation issues, or exceptional circumstances. Counsel should consider whether an exemption order exists (or can be sought) and whether it is drafted in a way that covers the client’s exact vehicle particulars and registration status.
Finally, because the Order is “current version as at 27 Mar 2026” and commenced on 6 May 2022, practitioners should verify whether there have been amendments or subsequent exemption orders affecting the same vehicle. The extracted text does not show amendments, but the platform’s versioning indicates that the instrument is tracked over time. In practice, confirming the latest version and checking for related orders is essential before relying on the exemption.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act 1961 (authorising provision: section 142)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules (R 5), specifically Rule 5(1) (disapplied by this Order)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 1) Order 2022 (if applicable in the legislative timeline; not provided in the extract)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.