Road Traffic Act rules on interfering with vehicles
What Singapore law says about boarding or tampering with motor vehicles, holding on to a moving vehicle, and soliciting to watch or clean vehicles.
Primary source: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/RTA1961?ProvIds=pr97-
Interfering with vehicles
Without lawful authority or reasonable cause, a person must not take or remain holding onto, or get onto, a motor vehicle or trailer while it is moving on a road for the purpose of being drawn or carried. The same section makes it an offence, without lawful authority or reasonable cause, to get onto, move or tamper with a motor vehicle on a road or at a parking place where the public may park motor vehicles (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 97(1)–(2)).
Section 97 also makes it an offence to loiter in or near a road or such a parking place to solicit someone to watch or clean a motor vehicle while its driver is absent, or to solicit anyone to do so. A police officer may arrest without warrant a person reasonably suspected of committing or attempting an offence under the section (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 97(3)–(4)).
Section 97 does not specify a separate penalty. Under the Act's general penalty provision, where no special penalty is provided, conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 3 months, or both for a first offence; for a second or subsequent offence, the maximum is a fine of $2,000, imprisonment for 6 months, or both (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, ss. 97 and 131(2)).
Coverage debt
- Section 97 does not define “lawful authority” or “reasonable cause” for these offences.