Speech by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng for the Second Reading of Land Transport Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill 2021

1.     Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time. 

Introduction 

2.     During this year’s Committee of Supply debate, Minister Ong said that our national vision is to have substantially all vehicles run on cleaner energy by 2040. We have therefore embarked on a major transition towards electric vehicles, or EVs. 

3.     The Ministry of Transport is undertaking efforts in three areas to enable this transition.  First, reviewing the EV tax structure; second, developing the charging network and infrastructure; third, reviewing the regulatory regime for EV chargers and EV charging services.  

4.     This Bill has to do with the third prong of our efforts - update and strengthen the regulations for chargers that serve EVs, which include electric cars, motorcycles, goods vehicles and buses.  As part of this effort, we intend to amend existing legislation in two stages. 

5.     The first stage is the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill 2021 tabled before Members today. It assigns statutory functions relating to EVs and EV charging infrastructure to the Land Transport Authority, or LTA. 

6.     The second stage involves other legislative measures related to EV chargers that are still being studied. Possible measures include registration of EV chargers and charger provision requirements for new building and carpark developments. The Ministry of Transport is consulting the industry, working through the policy specifics of these measures, and will table a separate Bill when ready.

Objective of Bill 

7.     Mr Speaker, Sir, let me now take the House through the changes in today’s Bill. 

8.     Currently, the regulatory landscape for EV chargers is truncated. LTA’s regulatory mandate covers road vehicles including EVs, but it does not cover EV chargers. The Energy Market Authority oversees the regulation of EV chargers which are affixed to the electricity grid. 

9.     The current situation is not optimal because while LTA is in charge of developing the charging infrastructure, it does not have oversight of the regulations governing proper installation. Furthermore, no government agency oversees the regulation of non-fixed charging solutions, like battery swapping. 

10.    We need to change this existing arrangement to better progress adoption of EVs and EV charging technology. LTA, as the vehicle licensing authority, will be the agency to regulate both EVs and EV chargers. 

11.    I am therefore introducing the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill today to empower LTA with new statutory functions relating to EVs and EV charging infrastructure.  The key provisions are as follows. 

Key Bill Provisions

12.    First, the Bill assigns LTA the function of promoting and regulating the safe use of EVs in Singapore. This squarely charges LTA with the mission to develop and implement EV-related schemes and policies.  

13.    Second, the Bill also confers on LTA the function of undertaking or facilitating the development and maintenance of publicly-accessible EV charging points and their supporting infrastructure. 

14.    Third, the Bill charges LTA with the function of setting technical standards for all EV chargers in Singapore, in the interest of public safety. There is clarity now between EMA and LTA in this sphere of work. 

15.    Today, all EV chargers must comply with a set of technical standards and safety precautions called the Technical Reference 25, or TR25. Previous reviews of TR25 were administered by EMA in consultation with other agencies. LTA has since taken over from EMA, and is currently leading a review of TR25, with the aim of using the TR25 to facilitate industry development. This Bill formalises LTA’s role to lead the TR25 Review Committee.

16.    Fourth, the Bill makes it LTA’s function to cooperate and collaborate with EMA on matters relating to technical standards for fixed EV chargers, and the safe use of EV chargers in Singapore. 

17.    Today, EMA enforces TR25 for fixed EV chargers through regulatory requirements on licensed electrical workers, or LEWs, under the Electricity Act. Only LEWs are authorised to install fixed EV chargers, and they must ensure that the chargers comply with TR25 before they install them.

18.    Hence, the Bill requires LTA and EMA to work closely together in the regulation of fixed EV chargers. While LTA sets EV charging standards going forward, EMA will continue to require LEWs to install fixed EV chargers that comply with the latest standards, which will henceforth be set by LTA. This Bill provision reflects the close collaboration needed between the two agencies.

19.    There is therefore a consequential amendment to the Electricity Act to provide EMA with a new statutory function to collaborate with LTA on these matters.

Conclusion

20.    Mr Speaker, I beg to move.