SINGAPORE - A traffic enforcement blitz in the northern part of Singapore saw 15 errant motorists pulled up for using their phones on the road or operating vehicles that failed to meet exhaust and noise emission standards.
The joint operation on Wednesday (March 30) by the police, National Environment Agency (NEA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) comes on the back of a 25 per cent spike in fatal road accidents.
In a statement on Thursday, NEA said officers from the agencies ushered motorists, such as truck drivers and motorcyclists, off the main roads to undergo smoke and noise emission tests at designated checkpoints.
Motorists whose vehicles exceeded the permitted levels received a fine on the spot.
NEA added that the agencies will continue to conduct such operations, which aim to remind motorists to adhere to road safety and environmental regulations, including reducing vehicle exhaust and noise emissions.
"Both local and foreign-registered vehicles entering Singapore must meet Singapore's exhaust and noise emission standards under the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations.
"Non-compliant foreign vehicles may be denied entry at Singapore's land checkpoints and face penalties by the relevant authorities," said NEA.
The agencies also urged the public to report errant motorists for offences by submitting details such as the motorist's vehicle registration number, location, date and time of the incident.
In the statement, NEA reminded motorists to adhere to permitted vehicle modifications listed by the LTA.
For instance, tinted glass on the front windscreen and two front side windows must allow at least 70 per cent of light to pass through for visibility, according to LTA guidelines.
Any modifications to a vehicle's exhaust system must be approved by the LTA, the guidelines stated.
Amid a rise in the vehicle population, Traffic Police numbers showed there were more fatal accidents last year and people hurt on the roads.
There were 100 fatal road accidents in 2021, and 80 cases the year before. And 7,184 people were injured last year, up from 6,669 in 2020.
