Starting from 1st April 2019, all diesel vehicles (including buses and lorries) will be joining all petrol and CNG vehicles in the “3-Quarter Tank” rule when leaving Singapore for Malaysia via land Checkpoints..

Are you aware of the new law and its consequences?

INTRODUCTION:

Since 1991, the 3-quarter tank rule was implemented to ensure all petrol vehicles leaving Singapore to pump at least 3/4 tank full..

It was subsequently revised in 2012 to add CNG – “Compressed Natural Gas” vehicles into the rule too..

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Three-Quarter Tank Rule

Under the Customs Act, Singapore-registered vehicles are required to have a minimum amount of motor fuel (at least three-quarters of the tank) when leaving Singapore via the land checkpoints. This is commonly referred to as the “three-quarter tank rule”.

The three-quarter tank rule is currently applied to vehicles running on petrol and/or compressed natural gas (CNG). For hybrid vehicles running on petrol and CNG, drivers should ensure that both the petrol and CNG fuel tanks are at least three-quarter full.

With effect from 1 April 2019, the three-quarter tank rule will be expanded to cover Singapore-registered diesel-powered vehicles. This is in line with the introduction of a usage-based diesel duty announced in Budget 2017 to reduce diesel consumption and resultant air pollution.

Drivers who do not meet the rule may be issued with a composition sum of up to $500, or be prosecuted in court. Drivers may also be required to perform a U-turn at the land checkpoints if they are caught committing the offence.

If the vehicle’s fuel gauge is tampered, the driver may be charged in court for illegal alteration of the fuel measuring equipment. More information on customs offences is available here. 

To avoid any inconvenience to your overseas trip, Singapore Customs would like to remind drivers to ensure that their fuel tank is at least three-quarters full when exiting the land checkpoints.

Source: https://www.customs.gov.sg

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Here are the penalties for breaching of the 3-quarter tank rule:

Notes:

The composition amount will take into consideration the GST offence, and be rounded down to the nearest $5 with effect from 1 Jan 2017.

The actual composition amount offered may be different from the table depending on circumstances of the case. This will be specified in the letter issued by a Singapore Customs officer. Please note if there is a delay in payment of the composition sum, offenders can be charged in court for the offence.

Offenders can be charged in court without any offer of composition in serious cases or where the composition amount that can be offered exceeds S$5000.

Source: https://www.customs.gov.sg

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Will there be substantial increase in bus fares and lorry transportation charges after 1 April 2019?

Only time will know.. Stay tune for updates!