Road Traffic Act
(CHAPTER 276, Section 140)
Road Traffic (Exemption from Section 12 — Approval) Rules
R 45
G.N. No. S 721/2005

REVISED EDITION 2008
(31st January 2008)
[18th November 2005]
Citation
1.  These Rules may be cited as the Road Traffic (Exemption from Section 12 — Approval) Rules.
Definitions
2.  In these Rules —
“certificate of insurance” means a certificate of insurance, certificate of security or certificate of foreign insurance which complies with the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act (Cap. 189);
“vehicle entry permit” means a vehicle entry permit granted under the Road Traffic (International Circulation) Rules (R 7).
Application by citizen or permanent resident of Singapore
3.—(1)  Any person who is a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore may apply to the Registrar for approval to rely on the exemption under paragraph 3(1) of the Road Traffic (Exemption from Section 12) Order (O 6) in respect of any vehicle not registered under the Act.
(2)  Subject to rule 7(4), the Registrar may grant the approval if the Registrar has determined, on the basis of information furnished by the person and of records maintained by the Registrar, that the following conditions are satisfied:
(a)the person is a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore;
(b)the person resides outside Singapore;
(c)the person works and resides in Malaysia;
(d)the person or his spouse is the registered owner of the vehicle, or the person’s employer is the registered owner of the vehicle and has provided the person with the vehicle, or the person’s employer has hired the vehicle for use by the person alone;
(e)there is in force in respect of the vehicle a certificate of insurance which is valid for the period of validity of the approval applied for;
(f)on each occasion prior to the consideration of the application by the Registrar, if any, when the vehicle entered Singapore, the person kept or used the vehicle in Singapore for no longer than the period of validity of the vehicle entry permit granted in respect of that entry into Singapore;
(g)where, prior to the consideration of the application by the Registrar, the person has kept or used the vehicle in Singapore, the person did so only —
(i)on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays;
(ii)for an aggregate of not more than 28 other days (or such greater number of days as the Registrar allowed) in each calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the application is considered by the Registrar; and
(iii)for an aggregate of not more than 28 other days (or such greater number of days as the Registrar allowed) in the period from 1st January in the calendar year in which the application is considered by the Registrar to the date the application is considered by the Registrar.
Application by spouse of citizen or permanent resident of Singapore
4.—(1)  Where a person is granted or has applied for approval under rule 3 in respect of a vehicle, his spouse may apply to the Registrar for approval to rely on the exemption under paragraph 3(2) of the Road Traffic (Exemption from Section 12) Order (O 6) in respect of the vehicle.
(2)  The Registrar may grant the approval if the Registrar has determined, on the basis of information furnished by the person and his spouse and of records determined by the Registrar, that the following conditions are satisfied:
(a)the spouse is a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore, and resides in Malaysia; and
(b)the person, the spouse or the person’s employer is the registered owner of the vehicle.
Application by female citizen of Singapore
5.—(1)  Any woman who is a citizen of Singapore may apply to the Registrar for approval to rely on the exemption under paragraph 3(3) of the Road Traffic (Exemption from Section 12) Order (O 6) in respect of any vehicle not registered under the Act.
(2)  Subject to rule 7(4), the Registrar may grant the approval if the Registrar has determined, on the basis of information furnished by the woman and of records maintained by the Registrar, that the following conditions are satisfied:
(a)the woman is a citizen of Singapore;
(b)the woman resides outside Singapore;
(c)the woman is married to a citizen or permanent resident of Malaysia who is not also a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore;
(d)the woman, her spouse or the employer of her spouse is the registered owner of the vehicle and, where the employer is the registered owner of the vehicle, the employer has provided her spouse with the vehicle;
(e)there is in force in respect of the vehicle a certificate of insurance which is valid for the period of validity of the approval applied for;
(f)on each occasion prior to the consideration of the application by the Registrar, if any, when the vehicle entered Singapore —
(i)the woman kept or used the vehicle in Singapore for no longer than the period of validity of the vehicle entry permit granted in respect of that entry into Singapore; and
(ii)the woman alone drove the vehicle;
(g)where, prior to the consideration of the application by the Registrar, the woman has kept or used the vehicle in Singapore, the woman did so only —
(i)on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays;
(ii)for an aggregate of not more than 28 other days (or such greater number of days as the Registrar allowed) in each calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the application is considered by the Registrar; and
(iii)for an aggregate of not more than 28 other days (or such greater number of days as the Registrar allowed) in the period from 1st January in the calendar year in which the application is considered by the Registrar to the date the application is considered by the Registrar.
Period of validity of approval
6.—(1)  Subject to paragraphs (2) and (4), each approval under rule 3 or 5 shall be valid for one year from the date the approval is granted.
(2)  An approval under rule 3 shall cease to be valid if any condition under rule 3(2)(b), (c) or (d) ceases to be satisfied.
(3)  An approval under rule 4 shall cease to be valid if the person and his spouse are divorced.
(4)  An approval under rule 5 shall cease to be valid if any condition under rule 5(2)(b), (c) or (d) ceases to be satisfied.
Duty to inform Registrar of cessation of validity of approval
7.—(1)  Where —
(a)an approval under rule 3 ceases to be valid under rule 6(2); or
(b)an approval under rule 5 ceases to be valid under rule 6(4),
the person to whom the approval was granted shall within one month notify the Registrar of that fact and of the reason or reasons for the cessation of validity of the approval.
(2)  Where an approval under rule 4 ceases to be valid under rule 6(3), the person who was granted an approval under rule 3 shall within one month of the divorce notify the Registrar of that fact.
(3)  Any person who contravenes paragraph (1) or (2) without reasonable excuse shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —
(a)in the case of a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months; and
(b)in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.
(4)  The Registrar may refuse to grant an approval under rule 3 or 5 to any person who has contravened paragraph (1) in respect of any earlier approval under rule 3 or 5.
[G.N. Nos. S 721/2005; S 362/2007]