Controlling Smoke Emissions from Vehicles Registered in Other Countries

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what is the Ministry doing to control vehicles that come from across the Causeway which emit excessive smoke; and (b) how many such vehicles have been booked over the past two years.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The National Environment Agency (NEA) conducts daily enforcement operations against smoky vehicles at both the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints. Regular operations are also conducted along major roads in Singapore.

Smoky vehicles entering Singapore will be stopped for a smoke emission test. A composition fine ranging from $70 to $500 will be issued to the driver of a vehicle that fails the test. Diesel vehicles that emit smoke exceeding 70 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU), a measurement of smoke opacity, will be turned back.

NEA also conducts regular enforcement on Singapore roads. Drivers of buses that fail the smoke emission test for the first time will be issued with a composition fine of $150.

In 2010 and 2011, a total of 7,950 foreign-registered vehicles, including 2,339 motorcycles, were booked for excessive smoke emission. Going forward, NEA will be reviewing the penalty regime and harnessing new technology such as remote sensing technology to enhance enforcement against smoky vehicles.

Members of the public who observe smoky vehicles are encouraged to inform NEA via their call centre number: 1800-2255632, email: [email protected] or "myEnv" mobile application.

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