New Bill proposes stricter rules for mobility devices, tougher penalties for illegally altering vehicles

The Land Transport Authority plans to roll out the new rules from mid-2026 to give stakeholders time to comply.Follow our live coverage here.SINGAPORE – Under a new Bill, it will be illegal from mid-2026 to keep e-scooters that do not meet fire safety standards, even if they are not used.To improve the safety of users and other path users, the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, introduced by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on Jan 12, also proposes other measures.These include the introduction of a Certificate of Medical Need, which will be required for a person to drive or ride a mobility scooter on public paths; mandatory registration of mobility scooters; and the lowering of the speed limit of personal mobility aids (PMAs) from 10kmh to 6kmh.Motor vehicle owners will also affected by the Bill: All Singapore-registered motor vehicles have to be fitted with an on-board unit (OBU) to use public roads; there will be heavier penalties for illegally modified vehicles; and missed Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges will be decriminalised.The Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans to roll out the new rules from mid-2026 to give stakeholders time to comply. It was previously reported that the changes were expected to take effect in the first quarter of 2026.E-scooters and PMAsNon-compliant e-scooters pose serious fire risks, and such devices have been involved in a growing number of fires in recent years.From January to October 2025, there were 44 fires involving mobility devices. In 2024, 67 blazes involved such devices, up from 55 in 2023 and 42 in 2022. There were 63 such fires in 2021 and 68 in 2020.Currently, it is an offence to use e-scooters that do not meet the UL2272 fire safety standard on public paths or roads, but there is no offence for merely keeping one. The new Bill will make it illegal to possess such devices.For PMAs – which refer to motorised wheelchairs and mobility scooters designed for users who are unable to walk or have walking difficulties – not only will the speed limit be lowered under the Bill, size limits will also be imposed for these devices used on public paths.Currently, size limits are enforced only on public transport: a width of 70cm, length of 120cm, height of 150cm, and a combined weight of up to 300kg, including the rider.The Bill also proposes mandating the registration of mobility scooters to strengthen enforcement.The LTA will first apply the registration requirement to new mobility scooters sold, while giving existing users time to comply before extending it to all mobility scooters.These measures stem from recommendations by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) on regulating PMAs, which the Ministry of Transport reviewed and accepted in March 2024.The recommendations address concerns over the misuse of mobility scooters by seemingly able-bodied individuals, as well as speeding and the use of oversized devices on paths, which may compromise the safety of other path users, especially seniors and young children.ERP 2.0, and tougher penalties for illegally altering vehiclesThe Bill proposes to require all Singapore-registered motor vehicles to be fitted with an on-board unit (OBU) to use public roads, and to ban unauthorised OBU-related services such as installation, manufacture, repair, removal or repositioning, as well as the advertising of such services.The OBU replaces the in-vehicle unit (IU) as part of Singapore’s shift to a next-generation ERP system that uses global navigation satellite system technology.Currently, motor vehicle owners can still use the IU.As at Dec 31, 2025, more than 910,000 vehicles – over 90 per cent of vehicles here – have been fitted with the OBU, with installations carried out at more than 300 authorised workshops nationwide.LTA aims to have all vehicles installed with the OBU by 2026.The Bill also seeks to streamline the handling of missed ERP charges by decriminalising non-payment and treating it as an administrative issue.Responsibility for unpaid ERP charges will shift from drivers to vehicle owners. Those with outstanding payments will no longer face a traffic offence, with a $70 fine and possible legal action for persistent non-payment. But they will be barred from transacting with LTA on selected services, such as renewing road tax or transferring vehicle ownership, until the charges are settled.To strengthen deterrence and improve road safety, the Bill proposes higher penalties for several offences. Penalties for the illegal alteration of motor vehicles will be increased – up to a $5,000 fine and/or three months’ jail for first-timers, with penalties doubling for repeat offenders.The penalties will also be expanded from owner and users of illegally modified vehicles to cover those who allow such alterations to take place on their premises. Common illegal modifications include loud exhausts, overly tinted windows and flashing lights.Individuals convicted of such offences may face fines of up to $20,000 and/or imprisonment of up to two years, with penalties doubled for repeat offenders. In other cases, first-time offenders can be fined up to $40,000, rising to $80,000 for repeat offences.The Bill also proposes higher penalties for keeping or using unregistered or deregistered vehicles. Offenders may face fines of up to $20,000 and/or jail terms of up to two years for a first offence, with doubled penalties for subsequent offences.Parliament will debate the Bill in February.Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here