Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 4/1990

Read the first time on 26th February 1990.
An Act to amend the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Act (Chapter 172 of the 1988 Revised Edition).
Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:
Short title and commencement
1.  This Act may be cited as the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (Amendment) Act 1990 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
Amendment of section 25
2.  Section 25 of the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Act (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended by deleting subsection (1) and substituting the following subsection:
(1)  Where the Corporation operates the Mass Rapid Transit System, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to ensure as far as possible that, taking one year with another, its revenue is at least sufficient to meet its operating expenses.”.
Amendment of section 37
3.  Section 37 of the principal Act is amended by deleting the words “if he so desires” in the second line and substituting the words “within two years from the date of commencement of the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (Amendment) Act 1990 or the date of the notice served under section 35, whichever date is the later”.
Amendment of section 55
4.  Section 55 of the principal Act is amended —
(a)by deleting the words “public officer” in subsection (1) and substituting the word “person”; and
(b)by deleting subsections (3) and (4) and substituting the following subsections:
(3)  An inspector may appoint such persons as he considers necessary to assist him in the performance of his duties and may in writing authorise any such person to exercise any power conferred on him by section 56 or by regulations made under this Act for any purpose referred to in subsection (2).
(4)  On the occasion of the exercise of any power, an inspector or person authorised under subsection (3) shall produce to any person who requests him to do so evidence of his identity and, in the case of an inspector, of his appointment or, in the case of a person so authorised, of his authority.”.
Amendment of section 56
5.  Section 56(3) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after the word “inspector” in paragraphs (b) and (c), in each case the words “or a person authorised under section 55(3)”.
New sections 58A and 58B
6.  The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 58, the following sections:
Damage to railway or railway premises
58A.  Any person who wilfully removes, destroys or damages the railway or railway premises or any part thereof shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $200,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.
Compensation for damaging railway or railway premises
58B.—(1)  Any person who removes, destroys or damages, whether wilfully or otherwise, the railway or railway premises or any part thereof shall, in addition to any penalty for which he is liable for an offence under this Act, be liable to pay compensation for the damage he has done and the compensation shall be recoverable by civil action or suit before any court of competent jurisdiction.
(2)  Subject to subsection (1), any court before which a person is charged with an offence under this Act may assess the compensation payable under this section and may make an order for the payment of the same.
(3)  Any order made under subsection (2) may be enforced as if it were a judgment in a civil action or suit.”.
Repeal and re-enactment of section 59
7.  Section 59 of the principal Act is repealed and the following section substituted therefor:
Service of documents
59.—(1)  Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Act, any notice, order or document required or authorised by this Act or any regulations made thereunder to be given or served on any person, and any summons issued by a court in connection with any offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder may be served on the person concerned —
(a)by delivering it to the person or to some adult member or employee of his family at his last known residence;
(b)by leaving it at his usual or last known residence or place of business in a cover addressed to him;
(c)by sending it by registered post addressed to the person at his usual or last known residence or place of business; or
(d)where the person is a body corporate —
(i)by delivering it to the secretary or other like officer of the body corporate at its registered or principal office; or
(ii)by sending it by registered post addressed to the body corporate at its registered or principal office.
(2)  Any summons, notice, order or document sent by registered post to any person in accordance with subsection (1) shall be deemed to be duly served on the person to whom the letter is addressed at the time when the letter would in the ordinary course of post be delivered and in proving service of the same it shall be sufficient to prove that the envelope containing the summons, notice, order or document was properly addressed, stamped and posted by registered post.”.
Amendment of section 68
8.  Section 68(2)(a) of the principal Act is amended —
(a)by deleting the word “and” at the end of sub-paragraph (v); and
(b)by inserting, immediately at the end of sub-paragraph (vi), the word “and”, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following sub-paragraph:
(vii)any activity which may damage the railway or railway premises or may endanger the safety of any person travelling on or upon the railway or railway premises;”.