The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Wednesday (24th May) that it is requiring all compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles - not just taxis - to undergo an inspection, adding that it was 'concerned' about the cases of two CNG taxis catching fire recently.
There are more than 1,600 CNG private cars on the roads, and their owners will have to get their vehicles checked out at an Authorised Inspection Centre (AIC) by 9th June. The checks will include a test for gas leakages and the inspection of the condition and mounting of the CNG cylinder and other related components.
The widened checks come a day after the LTA mandated that all 950 CNG taxis will have to be inspected by Thursday, barring which they will not be allowed on the roads. The authority said that as of 7:00pm on Wednesday, 832 CNG taxis have been inspected, and among them, 74 cabs failed the tests. These taxis will be grounded and will undergo further investigation and rectification before they are deemed road-worthy.
Preliminary investigations by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) found that the fires involving the CNG taxis - in separate incidents on 30th April and 22nd May - were both caused by the leakage of gas within the cabs, which was ignited by the lighting of cigarettes. The LTA said it will step up the inspection regime for taxis.
CNG cabs will have to be inspected every three months, instead of every six months, the authority announced. The same regime will also be applied to the 12 CNG public buses, which are also being called up for the same ongoing checks. "We would like to remind all vehicle owners to ensure that their vehicles are regularly maintained and meet the necessary road-worthiness tests," the LTA said.
"CNG vehicle owners are also reminded to not smoke in their vehicles, and to send in their vehicles immediately to an AIC for inspection if they detect any sulphur-type odour (similar to the smell of rotten eggs)," the authority added. The LTA said that inspection notices will be sent to all private CNG car owners and the cost of the checks will be paid by the authority.
CNG vehicle owners may contact the LTA at 1800-CALL-LTA or visit www.lta.gov.sg for more information.
