Singapore legislation
Section 118
Section 118
Power to prohibit or restrict use of vehicles on certain bridges
(1)
When the Authority is satisfied that any bridge over which a road passes is insufficient to carry vehicles of which the weights or axle weights as hereinafter defined exceed certain limits, the Authority may by a conspicuous notice placed in a proper position at each end of the bridge prohibit the use of the bridge either —
by any vehicle of which the weight exceeds a maximum weight specified in the notice; or
by any vehicle of which —
the weight exceeds a maximum weight so specified; or
any axle weight exceeds a maximum axle weight so specified.
(2)
The notice may as regards both weight of vehicle and axle weight specify different maximum weights in relation to a vehicle travelling at a speed less than a speed specified in the notice and in relation to a vehicle travelling at that speed or any greater speed.
(3)
In this section —
“placed in a proper position” means placed in such a position either on or near the bridge or on or near the road leading to the bridge as to be visible at a reasonable distance from the bridge to the drivers of vehicles approaching it;
“weight” means the actual weight of the vehicle at the time including the weight of every person and thing carried by it; and
the weight transmitted by a vehicle to any transverse strip of the road surface 152.4 centimetres in breadth is taken as being an “axle weight” of that vehicle and for the purposes of this paragraph a vehicle and any trailer drawn thereby is deemed to be a single vehicle.
(4)
The fact that a prohibition mentioned in subsection (1) has been made by the Authority and has been notified in the manner prescribed in that subsection must be published in the Gazette.
(5)
Any omission to so publish the prohibition and notification does not affect the validity of the prohibition or notification.
(6)
If without the consent of the Authority, a vehicle is driven across a bridge in contravention of this section, any person who so drives it or causes or permits it to be so driven shall, without prejudice to any civil liability incurred by the person in the case of damage being caused to the bridge or otherwise, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $400 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $1,000.
(7)
If, in any proceedings under this section, the prosecutor satisfies the court that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the weight of the vehicle exceeded the maximum weight specified in the notice or that any axle weight of the vehicle exceeded the maximum axle weight so specified, the burden lies on the defendant to prove that the weight of the vehicle or every axle weight of the vehicle (as the case may be) did not exceed the maximum weight or maximum axle weight.