Singapore legislation
Regulation 50
of Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules
Regulation 50
Goods vehicle fitted with permanent overhead structure
Subregulation 1
Unless the Registrar permits otherwise, every goods vehicle which has an open deck for the carriage of goods and is to be used to carry any person on the floor of the vehicle shall be fitted with an overhead structure to provide adequate shelter for the persons seated on the floor of the vehicle —
with effect from 1st January 2010 where the vehicle is registered on or after 1st January 2010;
with effect from 1st February 2011 where the vehicle has a maximum laden weight not exceeding 3,500 kilogrammes and is registered before 1st January 2010; or
with effect from 1st August 2011 where the vehicle has a maximum laden weight exceeding 3,500 kilogrammes and is registered before 1st January 2010.
Subregulation 2
The overhead structure referred to in paragraph (1) shall —
be constructed of metal or other suitable materials of such size, as the Registrar or an authorised officer may approve; and
be securely and rigidly attached to the vehicle.
Subregulation 3
The Registrar or an authorised officer may refuse to approve any overhead structure fitted on a vehicle under paragraph (1) if the design, construction, strength or rigidity of the overhead structure is, in the view of the Registrar or the authorised officer, as the case may be, inadequate for safety.
Subregulation 4
Unless the Registrar permits otherwise, every goods vehicle which has an open deck for the carriage of goods and is to be used to carry any person on the floor of the vehicle must be fitted with rain covers in accordance with the requirements under paragraph (5) —
with effect from the date of registration in respect of every vehicle registered on or after 1 January 2023;
with effect from 1 July 2023 in respect of a vehicle that has a maximum laden weight not exceeding 3,500 kilogrammes and is registered before 1 January 2023; or
with effect from 1 January 2024 in respect of a vehicle that has a maximum laden weight exceeding 3,500 kilogrammes and is registered before 1 January 2023.
Subregulation 5
The following requirements apply for the purposes of paragraph (4):
the rain covers must be able to cover all open vertical sides of the goods vehicle to provide adequate shelter during inclement weather for the persons seated on the floor of the vehicle;
the rain covers must be fabricated from water-resistant materials as the Registrar or an authorised officer may require;
the rain covers must be securely attached to the vehicle’s overhead structure;
at least one of the rain covers must be transparent such that when all the rain covers are in use, at least one whole vertical side of the vehicle is transparent.
Subregulation 6
In this rule —
Definition
“open vertical side”, in relation to a goods vehicle, means any vertical side of the vehicle that is not covered by —
permanent fixed siding made of waterproof material, as may be approved by the Registrar or an authorised officer; or
a rear power tailgate, which reaches at least half the vertical distance from the floor of the vehicle to the overhead structure;
Definition
“vertical side of the vehicle” means the area between the outer edge of the overhead structure of the goods vehicle and the floor of the vehicle.