Roadworthiness of CNG Vehicles

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many CNG vehicles did not meet the testing guideline; (b) why are there so many CNG vehicles with leakages that have gone undetected for so long; and (c) what measures are in place to ensure the safety of CNG vehicles when they ply our roads.

Almost all of the 2,385 registered compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles have been inspected. About 200 were found to have gas leakage and they are being repaired or de-registered.

Gas leakage is generally due to poor maintenance. Following the recent fire incidents involving CNG vehicles, as a precaution, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) required all registered CNG vehicles to be sent for immediate inspection outside the usual inspection cycle. To enhance the thoroughness of the inspections, LTA deployed its own engineers to assist the inspection centres. The urgency of the inspections also gave vehicle owners no time to send their vehicles for pre-inspection maintenance. All this could have contributed to the higher than normal inspection failure rate.

As an additional precaution, LTA has increased the inspection frequency from once every six months to once every three months for public service vehicles which use CNG, such as taxis and buses. LTA is also working with taxi operators which have CNG taxis to enhance their own inspection and maintenance regime. LTA will also work with the inspection centres to tighten their inspection process and will double the frequency of its audits on the centres.