SPF: 265 foreign vehicles with outstanding fines stopped at land checkpoints in three-day operation

Merzsam Singkee
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2 m read
SPF: 265 foreign vehicles with outstanding fines stopped at land checkpoints in three-day operation
Photo: Singapore Police Force / Facebook

SINGAPORE: A multi-agency operation by the Traffic Police and partner agencies from September 28 to 30, 2026 has stopped 265 foreign motorists with outstanding fines at Singapore’s land checkpoints, recovering more than S$639,000 in outstanding summonses in three days.

The operation targets foreign motorists who commit traffic, parking, or vehicular emissions offences in Singapore and do not settle their fines, which is a pattern that authorities said they take a serious view of and will continue to address through regular operations.

From November 2, 2026, foreign-registered vehicles with outstanding fines will not be able to apply for or renew their Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) with LTA. This administrative decision is intended to strengthen the deterrent effect beyond checkpoint interception alone. Foreign motorists with unpaid fines may also already be denied entry into Singapore under existing measures.

Netizens react

The operation drew a mix of support and suggestions for making enforcement more systematic.

One commenter raised a potential workaround: “Can they evade the fine by just getting a brand new bike? After all, if they accumulate enough fines, it makes economic sense to buy a brand new kupcai and register it with new VEP.”

Another called for automation: “Finally? This should be automated. Every vehicle that fails OCR of the front and rear vehicle registration plates gets pulled over, issued a deadline to replace their plates with Singapore font or legible Malaysian font, or be detained after the deadline expires.”

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One raised a road safety frustration for Singapore car owners: “SG car drivers pay the world’s highest price to drive. But even if it’s a Malaysian motorcyclist’s fault, we often have to claim against ourselves.”

Another called for the checkpoint enforcement net to be widened: “Deter and bar also foreign vehicles that do not comply with overly tinted windscreen rules at the checkpoint.”