The process of deregistering vehicles in Singapore plays a significant role for car owners looking to dispose of their old or damaged vehicles. While scrapping is a common choice, there are alternative avenues to explore, such as COE renewal, selling your car, or exporting it. This highlights the importance of planning and researching these options well in advance.
Equally important is following the correct car scrapping process to avoid potential legal or financial complications. By diligently completing the necessary pre-scrapping steps and collaborating with a reputable scrap yard or a Scrap Car Singapore agent, car owners can ensure a smooth and hassle-free car scrapping experience.
Illegal Parking of Deregistered Cars in Multi-Storey Carpark
In an unusual turn of events, deregistered cars were recently discovered parked in a multi-storey car park located in Tiong Bahru, Singapore, possibly as an attempt to avoid parking fines.
A concerned individual, who chose to remain anonymous, posted about this on the Facebook group “Complaint Singapore” on September 9. The post included photos of numerous vehicles in a Housing Development Board (HDB) car park and a screenshot of registration records from the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) One Motoring website. The screenshot indicated that the registration record for one of the cars photographed in the car park was not available, suggesting that the vehicle had been deregistered.
When The Straits Times visited the car park on a Friday around noon, no deregistered cars were found. The car park appeared mostly empty, with only one or two cars parked on the upper floors.
An investigation into this matter is currently underway. The Housing Board declined to provide further details when contacted for information.
One possible explanation for this unconventional parking situation is that the Electronic Parking System (EPS) used in Singapore’s car parks may not detect towed vehicles, allowing them to pass through car park gantries without paying. At the Kim Tian Place HDB car park, the parking charges for cars are $2.40 for two hours, with a monthly season parking rate of $110.
It’s worth noting that attempting to evade payment through actions like tailgating other vehicles or bypassing car park gantries at car parks using the EPS system is considered an offense, as specified on the HDB website.
According to the rules stated on the Land Transport Authority website, within a month of being deregistered, vehicles must be either scrapped, exported, or temporarily stored in an export-processing zone (EPZ), with proof of deregistration submission required.
When a car’s Certificate of Entitlement (COE) expires, the owner has several options, including scrapping the car at an LTA-appointed scrapyard or selling it to a car dealer who can assist with the necessary paperwork.
Mr. Jake Ler, Chief Marketing Officer at Motorist Singapore, an online portal offering motoring services, explained that car dealers can either resell the vehicle, scrap it at a scrapyard, or store it in an EPZ before exporting it to another country. Storing a car in an EPZ typically costs between $100 and $200 per day, with cars usually remaining in the EPZ for three to four days before export.
Mr. K.H. Yong, a director at car export firm JA8 Import and Export, pointed out that renting adequate space to store deregistered cars before scrapping or exporting them would cost at least $15,000 per month. Sufficient space is necessary for storing the vehicles, and the entrance must be large enough to allow containers to pass through easily.
Failure to submit the required proof of deregistration documents can result in a maximum fine of $2,000 or imprisonment for up to three months, with repeat offenders facing fines of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months.