5 Traffic Fines in Singapore You Didn’t Know You Could Get Fined For
You know how tourists in Singapore think it’s a big joke when they buy a T-shirt that says “Singapore is a FINE city” followed by a list of things that you can get fined for. You know, like littering, or jaywalking, or even using someone else’s WiFi network. But you know where it hurts the most? When you’re on the road. Or more accurately, when you’re out of your car after parking illegally. Recently, one Singaporean has to pay a total of $7,000 for his 14 traffic fines! All of them have to do with where he parked.
Here are 5 traffic fines in Singapore you didn’t know you could get booked for.
1. Parking a vehicle on a flyover
Fine: $70 for light vehicles, $100 for heavy vehicles.
Essentially, don’t be a jerk and put other people at risk. Even though the speed limit on a flyover is supposed to be 50km/h, Singaporean drivers tend to ignore it because they’re usually entering or exiting an expressway. What’s worse, many flyovers in Singapore are winding and you probably won’t see a parked vehicle until it’s too late.
Needless to say, “parking a vehicle on a ramp leading to a flyover” is illegal as well and carries the same fine.
2. Parking a vehicle in an underpass
Fine: $70 for light vehicles, $100 for heavy vehicles.
Having been a pedestrian for most of my life, my first thought when I saw this traffic fine was “How the hell does a vehicle get into an underpass”? Of course, this isn’t referring to a pedestrian underpass, but a vehicular one, like the Bukit Timah Underpass beneath the Farrer Flyover, or Queensway Underpass beneath Commonwealth Avenue.
Just like the flyover, it’s quite the jerk move to park in an underpass, because vehicles aren’t expecting to stop or change lanes when they’re in an underpass. Doing so puts others at risk.
In the same way, “parking a vehicle on a ramp leading to an underpass” is illegal and carries the same fine.
3. Stopping a vehicle on the right side of a two-way road
Fine: $70 for light vehicles, $100 for heavy vehicles.
Unless you’ve lived in countries like United States, or the Philippines, or China for extended periods of time, you know that it’s common sense not to stop your vehicle on the right side of a two way road. We drive on the left-hand side of the road, which means that parking on the right side will cause obstruction to oncoming traffic.
Needless to say, if you do park on the left-hand side of the road, you need to make sure you’re not “stopping a vehicle without facing the direction in which the traffic may lawfully move”. Or, in other words, don’t park against traffic!
On a one-way road, you can stop on either side, unless of course there’s an unbroken white line (or lines).
4. Parking a vehicle within 9 metres of a bus stop
Fine: $70 for light vehicles, $100 for heavy vehicles
Most drivers remember that you can’t park within 3 metres of a fire hydrant, or within 6 metres of a junction of any road or street, but did you know you also aren’t allowed to park within 9 metres of a bus stop?
Normally the measurement will be taken from the bus stop pole or the tip of the bus stop box, but in the case of a bus bay, the measurement is taken from the tip of the bus bay itself not the bus stop.
Of course, if you’re “parked” because your vehicle has broken down or your tyres have been punctured then you’re given a free pass.
5. Parking a vehicle on the grass verge of a road
Fine: $70 for light vehicles, $100 for heavy vehicles
Bet you didn’t realise this was illegal, huh? Especially since so many Singaporeans do it when they’re in landed property areas where there’s only one lane or a narrow two-way street. In all fairness, some drivers who are forced to park on the grass often do so to prevent any obstructions. But there will be those who think that any grass patch next to a road is as good as a parking lot. $70 should tell you otherwise.
In the same vein, “parking a vehicle on the footway of a road” is also illegal and carries the same fine. The simple lesson here? If there’s no official parking lot, don’t park there. It’s not worth it.
But wait, there’s more!
As of January 1st this year, repeat offenders will have to pay larger traffic fines for certain offences. A “repeat offender” is defined as having received a fine within the last 12 months from the date of his previous offence.
Here’s the complete table of traffic offenses that don’t carry demerit points:
S/N | Offences | Light Vehicle | Light Vehicle | Heavy Vehicle | Heavy Vehicle |
First time | Repeat offence | First time | Repeat offence | ||
1 | Failing to comply with the “No Parking” sign | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
2 | Failing to comply with the “No Stopping” sign | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
3 | Failing to comply with the “No Waiting” sign | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
4 | Failing to stop a vehicle parallel with the edge of the left-hand side of the road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
5 | Failing to stop a vehicle close to the edge of the left-hand side of the road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
6 | Stopping a vehicle in such a manner as to cause unnecessary obstruction to other road users | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
7 | Stopping a vehicle without facing the direction in which the traffic may lawfully move | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
8 | Stopping a vehicle on the right side of a two-way road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
9 | Parking a vehicle on any road between the edge of a roadway and any portion of an unbroken white line laid down on such road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
10 | Parking a vehicle on any road between the edge of a roadway and any portion of unbroken double white lines laid down on such road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
11 | Parking a vehicle on any road where unbroken double yellow lines are laid down | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
12 | Parking a vehicle on any road where an unbroken yellow line is laid down | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
13 | Parking a vehicle on the grass verge of a road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
14 | Parking a vehicle within 6 metres of a junction of any road or street | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
15 | Parking a vehicle within 9 metres of a bus stop | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
16 | Parking a vehicle within 3 metres of a fire hydrant | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
17 | Parking a vehicle on a slip road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
18 | Parking a vehicle on a filter lane | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
19 | Parking a vehicle on a fly-over | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
20 | Parking a vehicle in an underpass | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
21 | Parking a vehicle on a ramp leading to a fly-over | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
22 | Parking a vehicle on a ramp leading to an underpass | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
23 | Parking a vehicle on the footway of a road | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
24 | Parking a heavy vehicle in any place other than the designated parking space | - | - | $100 | $150 |
25 | Causing vehicle to remain at rest on a road in a position that is likely to cause danger to other road users | $300 | $450 | $300 | $450 |
26 | Causing vehicle to remain at rest on a road in a position that is likely to cause undue inconvenience to other road users | $300 | $450 | $300 | $450 |
27 | Parking a vehicle at a taxi stop | $50 | $80 | $80 | $120 |
28 | Parking a vehicle at a public stand for taxis | $50 | $80 | $80 | $120 |
29 | Stopping a vehicle on a central divider of expressway | $70 | $110 | $100 | $150 |
Illegal Parking Offences: With Demerit Points
S/N | Offences | Light Vehicle | Light Vehicle | Heavy Vehicle | Heavy Vehicle | Demerit Points |
First time | Repeat offence | First time | Repeat offence | |||
1 | Parking a vehicle within a pedestrian crossing | $120 | $180 | $150 | $230 | 3 |
2 | Parking a vehicle within a Demerit Points No Parking Zone | $120 | $180 | $150 | $230 | 3 |
3 | Parking within a Demerit Points No Parking Zone (footpath) | $120 | $180 | $150 | $230 | 3 |
4 | Stopping within a Demerit Points No | $120 | $180 | $150 | $230 | 3 |
5 | Stopping within a Demerit Points No Stopping Zone (footpath) | $120 | $180 | $150 | $230 | 3 |
6 | Parking abreast to another vehicle, causing unnecessary obstruction | $120 | $180 | $150 | $230 | 3 |
7 | Causing a vehicle to be stopped in a zebra controlled area | $120 | $180 | $160 | $230 | 3 |
8 | Stopping a vehicle on a carriageway of an expressway | $130 | $200 | $160 | $240 | 4 |
9 | Stopping a vehicle on the shoulder of an | $130 | $200 | $160 | $240 | 4 |
10 | Stopping a vehicle on the verge of an | $130 | $200 | $160 | $240 | 4 |
Know of any other traffic offenses that Singaporeans will be surprised to find out? Share them with us.
The post 5 Traffic Fines in Singapore You Didn't Know You Could Get Fined For appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.
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