Data on Illegal Use of Deregistered Vehicles, and Crime and Traffic Violations Linked to these Vehicles

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question 

Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Acting Minister for Transport 

a.     in 2025, how many crimes or traffic violations involved the use of deregistered vehicles;

b.      what are the primary sources of these vehicles and whether there is evidence of syndicates facilitating their illegal retention; and

c.      how will the Ministry enhance inter-agency coordination to prevent deregistered cars from being used illegally on our roads.

Reply by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow: 

1.     A vehicle owner must either scrap or export his deregistered vehicle and provide proof of disposal within one month from the vehicle's deregistration date. A failure to do so constitutes an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both. Amendments to the Road Traffic Act were passed in Parliament this month to increase the maximum penalties for keeping or using an unregistered or deregistered vehicle. A first-time offender will face a fine of up to $20,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.

2.      Nonetheless, there are still cases where deregistered vehicles were unlawfully retained and used illegally. In 2025, there were more than 80 cases of crimes and traffic violations that involved the use of such vehicles.

3.      Besides legislation, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) regularly shares intelligence and conducts joint operations with other agencies.