Owners of unregistered or non-compliant e-bikes to face fines, jail terms from Feb 1

SINGAPORE — E-bike owners who have not registered their vehicles or continue to use non-compliant bikes could face hefty fines and jail sentences from Thursday (Feb 1), when new regulations kick in.

The grace period for mandatory registration of all e-bikes, first announced in August last year, lapsed on Wednesday (Jan 31). From Thursday, only e-bikes with an orange seal - meaning they meet the latest technical requirements set by the authorities - can be registered.

Owners of e-bikes with a blue seal (approved under old technical requirements) will no longer be able to register their vehicles from Thursday. Those who did not register during the grace period - from Aug 14 2017 to Jan 31 this year - will also not be allowed to use their e-bikes anymore.

Under the new regulations, those who keep or use a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) on public roads and paths must have registered the vehicle with the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Their vehicles must also sport a valid seal and license plate.

Those caught keeping or riding an unregistered e-bike can be fined up to S$2,000 and jailed for up to three months for a first offence. Users of e-bikes without a valid number plate can be fined up to S$1,000 and jailed up to three months on first conviction.

Users or retailers of non-compliant e-bikes may be fined up to S$5,000 and jailed up to three months, for their first offence. The e-bike could also be seized.

Owners who sell their vehicles must transfer the registration within seven days of handing over the e-bike. A fee of S$11 is applicable.

“We take a serious view on errant riding behaviour,” LTA said in a Facebook post on Wednesday reminding PAB users of the imminent new rules.

LTA conducted checks at Bedok Town Centre on Tuesday night, during which its officers impounded two PABs which did not have a valid LTA seal, and had been “illegally modified with a throttle”.

The respective PAB owners are assisting the officers with their investigations, LTA added without giving further details.

Then-Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo announced the need for e-bike registration last January, following a series of fatal e-bike accidents.

With the new regulations coming into force, those who purchase a new e-bike must register their vehicle immediately at www.onemotoring.com.sg.

Following the registration, owners will have three days to attach a number plate with the assigned registration number on the back of their bikes. The plates must feature black characters against a yellow background or white characters against a black background, the authority stipulated.