RENEWAL OF CLASS IV DRIVING LICENCES (Imposition of limit in unladen weight)

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim asked the Minister for Communications (a) if he knows to the best of his knowledge that persons who had been granted class 4 licences under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Rules, 1948, which qualified them to drive heavy motor cars with no maximum limit in unladen weight, have on renewal of their licences been granted a similar class licence under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Rules, 1969, which automatically disqualified and debarred them from driving vehicles exceeding 7 tons in unladen weight; (b) if he is aware that it is common occurrence that holders of class 4 heavy motor car licences are still driving vehicles exceeding 7 tons in unladen weight with the full knowledge, but with no valid authority; of the Registrar of Vehicles; and (c) in view of the fact that such persons might be committing road traffic offences and might face serious consequences, if he will take urgent steps to restore to such persons, who held class 4 heavy motor car licences granted under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Rules, 1948, their status and qualification in all fairness to them and in the interest of the general public in the other respect.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, when the Registry of Vehicles driving licence records were being computerised on 1st February, 1969, the 1948 Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Rules were replaced by the 1969 Rules. In order to streamline the driving licence records and to facilitate issuance of driving licences, the classification for motor vehicles was at the same time reduced from nine to five classes.

It is true that persons issued with Class IV licences under the old rules were allowed to drive heavy motor-cars with no maximum limit in the unladen weight, whereas persons issued with Class IV licences under the new rules are not licensed to drive heavy motorcars above seven tons, for which a Class V licence is required. This, however, does not mean that under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Rules, 1969, those who had acquired Class IV driving licences before 1st February, 1969 are being automatically disqualified and debarred from driving heavy motor-cars above seven tons. The validity of licences issued under the 1948 Rules is not affected, as the 1969 Rules were not introduced with retrospective effect. In addition, there is a saving clause under Rule 17 (3) of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Rules, 1969, which provides that the new rules do not alter the classes of motor vehicles which a holder of a licence has been licensed to drive before the date when the new rules come into operation. Those issued with Class 1V licences before 1st February, 1969 are, therefore, legally entitled to drive heavy motor-cars above seven tons. The question of restoring to these people their status and qualifications to drive vehicles above seven tons, therefore, does not arise.

In reducing the classes of vehicles from nine to five, an unfortunate anomaly was created when those persons issued with Class IV licences prior to 1st February, 1969 renewed the old licences for new ones, as the new driving licences contained a pre-printed description of all the five classes of vehicles as defined under the new rules. In this description, Class IV vehicles are defined as heavy motor-cars above 2j tons up to seven tons, although these people are legally entitled to drive heavy motor-cars above seven tons as they had X been granted licences prior to 1st February, 1969.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to express my gratitude and thanks to the Member for Kallang for being so alert and drawing the attention of my Department to this anomaly. The necessary amending Rules re-classifying the classes of motor vehicles under the 1969 Rules to make driving licences issued under the 1948 and 1969 Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Rules equitable, have been published in the Government Gazette on 25th February, 1972. Action will also be taken by the Registrar of Vehicles to change the pre-printed description of the five classes of vehicles as contained in the new driving licences.