Number of people caught with deregistered vehicles soars
07 Sep 2015|5,384 views
The number of people prosecuted for keeping deregistered vehicles - which are supposed to be scrapped or exported - has soare, reports The Straits Times.
According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), 432 were charged in court in the first seven months of this year, an average of 62 per month, the highest in at least five years. A spokesman for the LTA said it relies on its enforcement officers to do random checks in their daily patrols. He said LTA also "follows up on feedback received from members of the public on deregistered vehicles".
Motor industry sources said the spike in cases could be fuelled by a shortage of export-processing zones (EPZs), where deregistered vehicles are kept under lock and key before they are exported. But not all offences are because of a dearth in authorised storage space.
Motor trader Anthony Lim said he is facing charges for not keeping a deregistered Ferrari he was exporting in an EPZ. "My dealer said for such a high-end car, he did not want to take the risk of it being damaged in a crowded EPZ," he said. Car exporter C. S. Ng said falling overseas demand for old used cars may be a contributing factor. "Last time, you may get $5,000 for a car if you export it but, today, you won't get more than a few hundred dollars for the same car," he said.
Another motor industry player said some offenders are simply out to cheat. "They would drive across the Causeway, get their export documents stamped by Customs, and then return to Singapore later," said the veteran trader, who did not wish to be named. With the stamped export documents, these rogue traders will claim the scrap rebate from the LTA, and continue to make use of the deregistered vehicle, sometimes with a fake number plate. "Some even rent out these cars to unsuspecting third parties," the trader said.
The LTA said any person who uses or keeps an unregistered vehicle can be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to three months. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $5,000, or jailed for up to six months. Those convicted have been slapped with stiffer penalties when several vehicles are involved.
The number of people prosecuted for keeping deregistered vehicles - which are supposed to be scrapped or exported - has soare, reports The Straits Times.
According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), 432 were charged in court in the first seven months of this year, an average of 62 per month, the highest in at least five years. A spokesman for the LTA said it relies on its enforcement officers to do random checks in their daily patrols. He said LTA also "follows up on feedback received from members of the public on deregistered vehicles".
Motor industry sources said the spike in cases could be fuelled by a shortage of export-processing zones (EPZs), where deregistered vehicles are kept under lock and key before they are exported. But not all offences are because of a dearth in authorised storage space.
Motor trader Anthony Lim said he is facing charges for not keeping a deregistered Ferrari he was exporting in an EPZ. "My dealer said for such a high-end car, he did not want to take the risk of it being damaged in a crowded EPZ," he said. Car exporter C. S. Ng said falling overseas demand for old used cars may be a contributing factor. "Last time, you may get $5,000 for a car if you export it but, today, you won't get more than a few hundred dollars for the same car," he said.
Another motor industry player said some offenders are simply out to cheat. "They would drive across the Causeway, get their export documents stamped by Customs, and then return to Singapore later," said the veteran trader, who did not wish to be named. With the stamped export documents, these rogue traders will claim the scrap rebate from the LTA, and continue to make use of the deregistered vehicle, sometimes with a fake number plate. "Some even rent out these cars to unsuspecting third parties," the trader said.
The LTA said any person who uses or keeps an unregistered vehicle can be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to three months. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $5,000, or jailed for up to six months. Those convicted have been slapped with stiffer penalties when several vehicles are involved.
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