6 motorists to be charged with speeding offences involving heavy vehicles

A man who drove a bus along the Pan Island Expressway at 79kmh will be among six motorists to be charged on Tuesday (Dec 30) for speeding offences involving heavy vehicles. 

The 30-year-old was driving towards the East Coast Parkway on Aug 31 and exceeded the vehicle's speed limit of 60kmh, the police said in a statement on Monday. 

The offences by the six motorists were allegedly committed between August and October. The suspects, who are aged between 30 and 50, were driving heavy vehicles which were not fitted with speed limiters. 

Two of the cases involved buses, three involved cement mixers and one involved a tipper truck. 

The motorists were caught driving at speeds which exceeded the imposed limits of their vehicles. 

Those convicted of speeding can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to three months, or both. Subsequent convictions will lead to a higher fine and jail term. Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all vehicles.

The number of speeding violations surged 45.5 per cent in the first half of 2025 from the same period the previous year, with more than 118,000 offences recorded. 

Requirement for speed limiters

The police also said that heavy vehicles that exceeded their regulated speed limit must undergo inspection to verify their speed limiters are functioning. 

Under the current law, heavy vehicles weighing over 12,000kg must be fitted with a speed limiter device. The law has been in place since 1999.

To further enhance road safety, TP announced in 2023 that it would extend this requirement to lorries weighing between 3,501kg and 12,000kg. 

Lorries registered before Jan 1, 2018, and weighing between 5,001kg and 12,000kg must be fitted with speed limiters by Jan 1, 2026. 

Owners of such models weighing between 3,501kg to 5,000kg will have until July 1, 2026, to do so. 

Meanwhile, newer lorries registered after Jan 1, 2018, must be fitted with the devices by Jan 1, 2027, or July 1, 2027, depending on their weight. 

A speed limiter is designed to limit the maximum speed that a vehicle can go. It works by controlling and restricting the vehicle's power output and accelerator movement to ensure that it does not breach the set limit. 

Speed limiters need to be calibrated and installed by authorised agents appointed by the police, and sealed to prevent tampering. 

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chingshijie@asiaone.com