Aligning Definition of "Animals" in Two Legislation
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns aligning the definition of "animals" in the Road Traffic Act with the Animals and Birds Act to ensure legislative consistency. Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang proposed the update, but Senior Minister of State Desmond Lee explained that the two Acts serve different objectives regarding animal welfare and road safety. Senior Minister of State Desmond Lee stated that the Road Traffic Act currently focuses on road user safety and restitution for farm animals of commercial value. He emphasized that while motorists should stop if safe to do so, the safety of motorists and other road users remains the primary priority. The Ministry of Home Affairs intends to review the definition of "animals" in the Road Traffic Act and consider amendments in the context of road safety.
Transcript
11 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider updating and aligning the definition of "animals" in the Road Traffic Act with the definition in the Animals and Birds Act to ensure that there is alignment of legislation across the statutes.
The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Lee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Madam, the definitions of "animals" in the Road Traffic Act and the Animals and Birds Act are not scoped in the same way. The objectives of the two Acts are different.
The Animals and Birds Act seeks to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases through animals, control the movement of animals, prevent cruelty to animals, and safeguard the general welfare of animals in Singapore. On the other hand, the primary intent of the Road Traffic Act is to ensure the safety of road users, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
The specific provision in the Road Traffic Act relating to animals had been confined to farm animals of commercial value. The original intent of that legislation was to ensure restitution to their owners should an accident occur.
The question is whether we should now mandatorily require all motorists to stop, should they hit an animal. The primary requirement must be safety. They should stop, if it is safe to do so. If the motorist requires assistance in relation to attending to the animal, he can contact the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
The Ministry of Home Affairs intends to review the definition of "animals" in the Road Traffic Act and also consider any amendment in the context of road safety, especially the safety of the motorists and other road users. In response to the Member's question, yes, we will review.