Drones to get wings clipped under new Bill

SINGAPORE — Drones face new restrictions in June if regulations proposed by the Ministry of Transport are approved by Parliament.

The Unmanned Aircraft (Public Safety and Security) Bill, introduced today (April 13), calls for changing the Air Navigation Act and Public Order Act to manage public safety and security risks caused by unmanned aircraft.

The laws will set out what drones can do, their weight, and where they can fly.

They will serve as interim steps, pending the Government’s ongoing study of a framework to facilitate and promote the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for public and commercial purposes.

Drone operators would require permits for commercial purposes or specialised services such as construction and surveying.

They will not be allowed to carry dangerous materials such as weapons or biochemical and radioactive material. Permits will be needed to discharge substances from the drone.

Drones weighing more than 7kg in total weight, including fuel, payload and equipment, will also require permits to operate.

The proposed laws also set out areas where drones cannot fly without a permit. These include Protected Areas such as security-sensitive locations, and areas within 150m of the designated location’s perimeter, as well as any restricted or danger areas declared by Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) for safety reasons.

Special events such as South-east Asian Games venues will be off limits without permits, as well as areas within 5km of an aerodome regardless of height, or above 200 feet (61m) beyond 5km of an aerodome. 

The proposals come as drones become increasingly popular, prompting the CAAS and Singapore Police Force to enhance the regulatory and permit framework.

Operators would be able to apply for permits through a CAAS online system, which will serve as a “one-stop shop” for submissions from June. Permits will be issued through the same system. 

Dr Phang Swee King, a National University of Singapore research fellow, flies drones almost every day near Old Holland Road as part of his work. He would require a permit to fly his drones, which are usually equipped with cameras and weigh 8kg to 9kg each.

The 29-year-old whose research includes unmanned aerial vehicles, welcomed the regulations as he felt it would improve public safety.

“The machines do fail sometimes. When it fails, it will just fall like a brick falling from the sky,” he said.