Latest news with #LandTransportAuthority
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Torque Shop: Buying a used car with a modified exhaust system
If a car cannot pass the periodic inspection, it has to be taken off the road. ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG Is it a problem buying a second-hand car that does not have a catalytic converter? It is a requirement for cars to be equipped with a catalytic converter, or 'cat', which is part of the car's exhaust system. Removing the cat is therefore illegal. Any vehicle that originally came with a factory-fitted cat will not be issued with an inspection certificate if the cat is missing or tampered with. Without this certificate, it will not be possible to renew the car's road tax. Catalytic converters look like exhaust mufflers. Inside, they are filled with very expensive natural elements – such as platinum, palladium and rhodium – that chemically treat exhaust gases to reduce carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons. If the cat is not working, you may notice a distinctive smell of exhaust gas when the engine is idling. While your car should still run smoothly, missing a catalytic converter means the exhaust gases are not being treated to alleviate the polluting components emerging from an internal combustion engine. Catalytic converters can be expensive, costing more than a few hundred dollars, and they are model-specific. If you are lucky, you may find a used one at a scrapyard. Otherwise, you will have to get a new one from a parts supplier. An inspection, whether at your own motor workshop or the inspection centres, will reveal if the exhaust system has been modified. Modifications may involve part of the system being changed. Look out for signs of cuts or welds. Unless the modification has been certified, any deviation in the exhaust system will be deemed illegal. Non-approved modifications are strictly forbidden in Singapore, even if the noise and emissions test results are within legal limits. While there may be aftermarket exhaust systems that are approved for road use, they must be certified in Singapore before use. Even with certified modifications, it is important to check that the vehicle's identification number and engine number match the records on the registration document from the Land Transport Authority. Arrange for an experienced mechanic from an authorised workshop to confirm that neither of these numbers has been altered. It would be a nightmare to find that your recently purchased used car is blacklisted, during a routine inspection, because of a discrepancy in the documentation. If the car cannot clear the inspection, it has to be taken off the road. The safest thing to do when shopping for a used car is to insist on a pre-purchase inspection to avoid such risks. If the seller refuses, walk away from the transaction. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CNA
COE premiums rise across all categories except for motorcycles
SINGAPORE: Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums closed mostly higher in the latest bidding exercise on Wednesday (Jun 18), with motorcycles the sole exception. For Category A cars, or those 1,600cc and below with horsepower not exceeding 130bhp, premiums closed at S$98,124 (US$76,400), up from S$96,999 in the last exercise. Premiums for larger and more powerful cars in Category B rose to S$116,670 from S$113,000. COEs for commercial vehicles, which include goods vehicles and buses, rose to S$65,000 from S$62,000 in the previous bidding exercise. Motorcycle premiums closed at S$8,600, down from S$9,000 in the last exercise. Open category COEs, which can be used for any vehicle type but end up being used mainly for large cars, rose to S$116,889 from S$113,900. A total of 4,207 bids were received, with a quota of 3,067 COEs available. The Land Transport Authority in April announced that the COE quota for the May to July period will go up by more than 6 per cent compared to the previous quarter. The total number of COEs will rise to 18,232, up from 17,133 in the last quarter, which already saw an 8 per cent increase.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
8 drivers nabbed for providing illegal rides to Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Gardens by the Bay
Those who provide illegal point-to-point services using vehicles without public service vehicle licenses may be fined up to $3,000, or jailed for up to six months. PHOTO: ST FILE 8 drivers nabbed for providing illegal rides to Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Gardens by the Bay SINGAPORE - Eight drivers were arrested for providing illegal rides to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, and Gardens by the Bay, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on June 17. LTA said in a Facebook post that the drivers were nabbed last week in a joint enforcement operation with the Singapore Tourism Board. The drivers' foreign-registered vehicles were also impounded for providing illegal point-to-point services. Checks on the drivers show that they were cleared of providing unlicensed tourist guiding activities, the authority added. In its Facebook post, LTA reminded passengers that they should also avoid using illegal point-to-point services. 'Without proper licencing and insurance, they pose serious risks to passengers, especially when accidents occur,' it said. Those who provide illegal point-to-point services using vehicles without public service vehicle licences may be fined up to $3,000, or jailed for up to six months. Their vehicles may also be forfeited. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Paper
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Paper
Issues reported in 5,400 out of 300k cars with ERP on-board unit installed
Around 5,400 cars have had problems with their Electronic Road Pricing on-board units (OBUs) since installation started in November 2023, including issues with wiring that have necessitated return visits to workshops. This represents 1.8 per cent of around 300,000 cars that have had the unit installed so far, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times on June 10. LTA said that as at June, more than 500,000 vehicles - including other vehicle types such as commercial vehicles - have been fitted with OBUs. This means the installation exercise has crossed the halfway mark towards equipping the entire vehicle population of around 1 million units with OBUs by 2026. The OBUs are used for road toll and carpark payments, among other things, as part of Singapore's move to the new ERP system, known as ERP 2.0. LTA said: "As with any large-scale technology roll-out, some vehicles may experience issues that require follow-up checks." Some motorists told ST they could not enter carparks or pay road charges with their OBUs, which became unresponsive. A spokesman for Lim Tan Motor in Sin Ming said owners of around 5 per cent of the 200 or so cars on which the workshop has installed OBUs had gone back for help, mostly because carpark gantries could not detect the units. He said this is more common at private and commercial building carparks than at those operated by the Housing Board. Another complaint is that the touchscreen display of the OBU freezes. OBU installation is free for all vehicles registered before May 1, 2024, if the unit is installed by the deadline stated in an LTA invitation letter to owners. All vehicles registered from May 1, 2024, are fitted with the unit. Depending on the vehicle, an OBU installation takes between two and four hours, and it can take just as long to troubleshoot and replace the unit. For vehicles other than motorcycles, the OBU consists of three parts: an antenna, a processing unit that holds the stored-value card, and an optional touchscreen display. Service and workshop manager Lester Yeong, 48, said the OBU touchscreen display on the van leased by his company, an industrial equipment supplier, showed a blank screen in April - five months after the unit was installed. The leasing company that provided the van managed to fix the issue once at its workshop, but the problem resurfaced two days later. This time, the faulty OBU was replaced. The OBU touchscreen display on Mr Christian Gani's BMW sport utility vehicle acted up two months after it was installed, with the display stuck in booting-up mode. In May, the information technology professional at a bank had to call for help via the buzzer at his office carpark gantry, because the system could not detect the OBU in his car, which had been registered for season parking. The OBU remained in the booting-up mode throughout his journey home. There was no beep from the system when he passed an operational ERP gantry, but he did not receive any fine for that. The screen continued to be stuck in this mode the next day, prompting Mr Gani to drive the car to the BMW agent, which eventually replaced the OBU. "The OBU just failed suddenly without warning and caused me so much inconvenience. Hopefully, it doesn't fail on me again," said Mr Gani. The OBU on Mr Nigel Yong's Mini Cooper failed within days of being installed. As he opted not to have a touchscreen display, the 35-year-old public relations manager did not notice anything amiss until he could not leave the carpark near his Housing Board flat in February. He had to ask the carpark staff for help and verify his vehicle registration number before the gantry was lifted. The OBU resumed working after a few days and functioned normally until it suddenly became unresponsive in May. Mr Yong could not wait for an appointment with the workshop that installed his OBU, so he visited another workshop that told him he would have to pay for a replacement unit unless he returned to the previous workshop. He paid $380 for the replacement instead of bearing with the inconvenience of having to return to the first workshop. The OBUs have a five-year warranty against manufacturing defects, under which parts are replaced at no charge. LTA advised motorists who experience issues with their OBUs to return to the workshops that installed the units. This is because those workshops would have the necessary records "for more effective troubleshooting". "In a small number of cases where more specialised attention is needed, the workshop may refer motorists to another workshop with the relevant expertise," the authority added. Motorists who need clarification can contact the ERP 2.0 Call Assist Service on 6377-2255.
Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Forum: Raise standards for private driving instructors
M any learner drivers in Singapore turn to private driving instructors (PDIs) for flexibility and lower costs. While many PDIs are patient and committed, a minority tarnish the profession by belittling learners, dragging out lessons, or giving vague instructions that slow progress. For national servicemen and students on tight budgets, this isn't just frustrating – it can feel exploitative. Some booking platforms impose basic standards and collect reviews, but participation is voluntary. Many instructors operate independently, without consistent expectations or accountability. Unlike driving school instructors, PDIs are not held to a central code of conduct. Misconduct can be reported to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), but only through a generic feedback form that is not widely publicised or tailored for such complaints. There is no centralised complaints process, no official registry of licensed PDIs, and no public review system. Many learners are unsure where to turn to when problems arise. From May 2024 to April 2025, first-time pass rates were lower for private learners (28 per cent for Class 3, 37 per cent for Class 3A) compared with school learners (39 per cent and 52 per cent respectively). While the difference isn't dramatic, it may reflect uneven instructional quality. Driving is a serious responsibility. If we expect high standards from drivers, we should hold instructors to the same. More can be done to ensure transparency, protect learners and uphold the professionalism of PDIs who do the job well. Ethan Tan More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
