CNG sticker - Are you sure I have to stick these on?

[David]

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,...,185404,00.html?

 

THEY had colourful explanations for the missing green-and-white labels. DISBELIEF: Mr Daniel Ng stores the CNG labels in his car. He did not believe The New Paper team when he was told he is required to display them. TNP PICTURES: JONATHAN CHOO

One driver removed the stickers from his car because they were ugly.

One said someone had stolen his.

And another said that his label had fallen off due to repeated washing.

Drivers of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles are required to display the palm-size label on the front and rear bumpers, but some are not doing so.

Not only are these drivers breaking the law, they are also risking their lives - and that of their rescuers - in the event of an accident.

The Land Transport Authority says that the purpose of the label is to alert Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers when they respond to accidents or fires involving CNG vehicles, to ensure that appropriate procedures are taken. Taxi driver Reik Lien.

When contacted, Lieutenant-Colonel N Subhas, SCDF's director of public affairs, said that its officers need to observe certain operational procedures that are unique to CNG vehicles.

He said: 'For instance, firefighters will need to first take an additional precaution by turning off the manual shut-off valve at the head of the CNG cylinder, which is located in the vehicle boot.

'This will prevent any gas leak that may pose a problem when firefighters carry out operations which require breaking or cutting, such as incidents which involve casualties that are trapped in a vehicle.'

There are about 3,200 CNG vehicles in Singapore, out of a total vehicle population of 872,000.

An LTA spokesman said that so far, no one has been caught for not displaying the labels. Limousine driver Edwin Ng, whose Mercedes-Benz has the initials for natural gas technology.

$1,000 fine

Since 20Oct, offenders can be fined $1,000 or jailed three months under the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration & Licensing) Rules.

Those with labels which are defaced, torn or do not meet the dimensional and colour scheme requirements face the same penalty.

Repeat offenders can be fined $2,000 or jailed six months.

Still, many were unaware of the importance of displaying the labels and the penalties if they were caught for not doing so. Designer Vincent Lim.

During a one-hour period at the Smart Energy CNG refuelling station at Mandai Link last Friday, The New Paper team spotted seven out of 25 vehicles which did not have the labels.

Another three vehicles displayed the label only on the front bumper, and one of them was driven by cabby Paul Tan.

The 46-year-old said: 'I know we're supposed to place the label on the front and back of the car, but the label on the back bumper of my car fell out during a car wash.'

The Smart limousine cab driver said he gets his car washed every day.

Mr Tan, who has been driving the CNG vehicle for two months, said: 'I'll definitely have to get a new one from the office soon.'

Another Smart limousine cabby, Mr Reik Lien, 56, said he was aware of the requirement. But he claimed his labels were stolen, 'probably by other CNG car drivers'.

Mr Lien has been driving a taxi for three years.

So why didn't he get new ones?

'I haven't had time to collect them from the office yet. It would be better if we could just pick up the labels from here,' he said, pointing to the counter inside the office at the refuelling station.

CNG labels are provided by the original car agents or workshops that convert cars to run on CNG. They also provide replacement labels to customers when asked.

Two workshops The New Paper spoke to provide the labels for free, while one workshop charges $8 for a pair.

Other drivers, such as Mr Maurice Lim, 41, said they did not know they were required by law to display the labels.

Mr Lim, a sole proprietor, said: 'I bought my car about four months ago and I wasn't given any labels. The workshop employees didn't tell me it was necessary.

'I even sent my car for an inspection and nobody said anything. Anyway, just take a look around. There are always about five out of 10 cars that don't display the label.

'That's why I didn't think it was required.'

Mr Vincent Lim, 33, was equally clueless about the rule.

The designer said: 'I saw that all the luxury cars, the Camrys and the Mercedes-Benz cars, didn't have any labels, so I thought it wasn't necessary.

'I just did the same thing. I removed the labels from my car.'

Mr William Chua, Smart Energy's general manager, observed that many of the vehicles that do not display the labels tend to be Mercedes-Benz cars.

'The drivers think that it's okay not to display the label because the cars have the letters 'NGT' on their boot.'

The letters stand for 'natural gas technology', which means the cars operate on CNG.

Indeed, that turned out to be the case with the owners of the Mercedes-Benz E200 NGT cars The New Paper interviewed.

When asked why he had a label displayed only on the front of his car and not the back, contractor Danny Tay, who is in his 40s, pointed at the silver letters 'NGT' on the boot of his car.

He said: 'Actually, there's no need to put the CNG label because people will know that my car is a CNG car when they see the 'NGT' here.

'Anyway, the CNG labels are quite ugly. They should have a slightly more attractive design.'

Mr Tay's Mercedes-Benz E200 NGT is the only CNG car that comes direct from the factory. Other CNG cars have petrol engines and were retrofitted to operate on CNG as well.

Echoing Mr Tay's view was another Mercedes-Benz E200 NGT owner, Mr Edwin Ng, 50, who works as a limousine driver.

Mr Ng, who paid close to $170,000 for his car, said: 'Isn't 'NGT' enough? What's the point of putting 'NGT' then?'

[Tjkbeluga]

They should just use another type of number plate design like those approved diesel cars, which is 2 colors.

[So_nice]

how about a green coloured plate?

[Woolff]

LTA should slaughter a few to show the rest....

[Akula]

For every 1 that have a legitimate reason, easily will have more that removed it for looks, or dun want ppl to know they drive a CNG car.

[Tjkbeluga]

Yea... Why not...

[Si4dr]

The sticker is ugly thats y people remove it.

Maybe do like the merc mention above will help

[Ev0lutionz]

No offence to CNG users. I dont find it appealing. Rather use petrol.

[CarNSpa]

after pasting a sticker for sometime will leave a stain on the bumper, fugly

[Deathism]

if the car paint's white..after the sticker has been there for so long..

 

if its removed..won't there be like different shades of white?

 

can imagine the car paint turning yellowish or smth..and where the sticker used to be, is still white as sheet.

[Hobbit6003]

Haha, seriously, when my son saw the sticker at the bumper of the car, he asked me "Car also got Halal one meh?"

[Deathism]

lol..so adorable

 

how old is he?

[Nicholasl]

maybe you're not suppose to remove it afterall. :)