Older motorcycles, including foreign bikes, must meet stricter emission standards from 2023: NEA

SINGAPORE: Older motorcycles will have to meet tighter in-use emission standards from Apr 6, 2023, as part of Singapore's efforts to reduce vehicular emissions and improve air quality. 

Announcing this on Wednesday (Apr 7), the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the stricter standards will apply to local motorcycles registered before Jul 1, 2003.

"These motorcycles can continue to be used until Jun 30, 2028, as long as they meet the tightened in-use emission standards," said NEA. 

Motorcycles registered on or after Jul 1, 2003, are already subject to the same stringent in-use standards or more.

“With proper maintenance, most motorcycles will be able to meet the tightened in-use emission standards,” NEA said in a media release. 

“Owners of affected motorcycles are reminded to get their vehicles serviced and inspected to meet the tightened emission standards. Such inspections are available at VICOM Inspection Centre, JIC Inspection Services and STA Vehicle Inspection.”

Those who are unsure if their motorcycles can meet the new standards are encouraged to make use of the early de-registration incentive, said NEA. The incentive of up to S$3,500 is available until Apr 5, 2023.

As of Dec 31, nearly 60 per cent of about 27,000 eligible motorcycles have benefited from the early de-registration incentive, NEA said.

FOREIGN MOTORCYCLES

Foreign motorcycles will also have to meet the new in-use emissions standards from Apr 6, 2023, regardless of their registration date.

"This is similar to current rules requiring foreign motorcycles to adhere to the same exhaust noise limit as local motorcycles, and not to emit any smoke or visible vapour," said NEA.

The agency added that enforcement will be carried out through random emissions testing for carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons at land entry checkpoints, as well as during enforcement blitzes.

“The fines imposed are the same for both local and foreign motorcycles. Foreign motorcycles with a number of outstanding fines for vehicle-related offences may also be denied entry into Singapore at the land entry checkpoints," said NEA.

CLASSIC BIKES

Singapore motorcycles registered before Jul 1, 2003, will no longer be allowed on the roads after Jun 30, 2028. 

That's unless they are on the Classic, Vintage (Restricted) and Revised Vintage Vehicle Schemes which are already subject to usage restrictions.

“For owners who wish to keep their older motorcycles as a classic vehicle, NEA is exploring a temporary scheme which would allow local motorcycles that were first registered between Jul 2, 1993, and Jun 30, 2003, to be retained after Jun 30, 2028, until such time when they are eligible for the Classic Vehicle Scheme,” NEA said.

The agency said it will consult relevant industry and interest groups on the details of the scheme, adding that applications for such a scheme, if implemented, would open closer to Jun 30, 2028.

“Motorcycles on the scheme will have to continue to meet the tightened in-use emission standards,” the agency said.

To qualify for the Classic Vehicle Scheme, motorcycles must be at least 35 years old based on their original registration date.

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NEW NOISE LIMITS

NEA also announced that it will "exclusively adopt" the latest United Nations noise standards for vehicles and aftermarket exhaust systems from Apr 1, 2023.

"This announcement provides the motor industry sufficient lead time to obtain motor vehicles that are able to meet the new noise requirements," said NEA.

Currently, all Singapore-registered vehicles must comply with the noise limits specified in the Fourth Schedule of the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations, which is benchmarked against the standards of the European Union and Japan. 

However, both the EU and Japan have begun adopting the UN’s latest noise standards since 2016, with implementation for passenger vehicles to be completed in 2022, followed by commercial vehicles in 2023.

Singapore will follow suit and implement the UN standards from Apr 1, 2023, for passenger vehicles and Apr 1, 2024, for commercial vehicles.

“The UN standards are generally more stringent than Singapore’s current standards,” NEA said.

“They also use a test procedure which better reflects actual driving conditions and better accounts for non-exhaust noise.”

These new standards will apply to vehicles registered after the cut-off dates.

“Existing vehicles, those registered before the adoption of UN standards, as well as foreign-registered vehicles, will continue to be subject to the current in-use vehicle noise limits stipulated in the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations, or those stipulated by the UN standards, whichever is higher,” NEA said. Higher limits mean louder noise is permitted.

“We will review the in-use standards in due course, giving the industry and the owners sufficient time to adjust to the tighter limits,” the agency added.