Road Traffic Act · 2026 Revised Edition · Part · Powers of Police
84D. Power to seize vehicles
Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged
When a person is found or is reasonably believed to be using a vehicle in contravention of any provision of this Act or of any subsidiary legislation, order or prohibition made thereunder, or in contravention of the terms of the licence for the vehicle, any police officer, the Director, and any
person
“person” shall have the meaning assigned to it by the Interpretation and General Clauses Act;
Road Traffic 86
road
“road” means any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes;
person authorised in writing by the Director on production of his authority, may, whenever it appears that the vehicle or its driver cannot be sufficiently identified or that such action is necessary to cause a discontinuance of the offence, take or cause to be taken, or require the person in charge of the motor vehicle to take it and any trailer attached thereto to a place directed by him to be kept there until released by order of a magistrate, the
Director
“Director” means the Director of Land Transport and includes any Deputy Director appointed under section 3(2);
Commissioner of Police or the Director, and if any person refuses or neglects to comply with any such requirement, he is guilty of an offence.
Any unauthorised person removing or causing any such vehicle to be removed from that place pending the order of a magistrate, the
vehicle
“vehicle” means any vehicle, including a trailer, constructed, adapted or capable of being used on roads, whether mechanically propelled or not.
Commissioner of Police or the Director is guilty of an offence.
If the owner of the vehicle is convicted of or has been permitted to compound an offence under this Act or under any subsidiary legislation made thereunder, the expenses incurred by the Commissioner of Police, police officer, Director or other authorised person in carrying out the provision of this section, shall be recoverable by or on behalf of the
owner
“owner” means the person in whose name a motor vehicle is registered by a licensing officer: Provided that in the case of a vehicle which is the subject of a hire-purchase agreement, the term means the person in possession of the vehicle under that agreement;
Commissioner of Police and, in case of dispute or neglect to pay, be summarily ascertained by any Court of a Magistrate and may be recovered in the same manner as if they were fines imposed by that court.
When any vehicle is detained under this section, the
Commissioner of Police shall forthwith give notice in writing to the owner
(if his name and address are known to him) of the seizure and if it is not claimed by such owner within one month of the date of its detention, the
Commissioner of Police may, after giving one month’s notice published in the Gazette of his intention to do so, sell it by public auction or otherwise dispose of it.
The proceeds, if any, from such sale or disposal shall be applied in payment of any licence fees which may be due in respect of the vehicle and of any charges incurred in carrying out the provisions of this section and thereafter shall be applied in any damage caused to property of the
Government by the unlawful use of the vehicle, and the surplus, if any, shall be paid to the owner of the vehicle, or if not claimed by him within 12 months after the date of the sale or disposal, shall be forfeited to the Government.
Terms defined in s 2
Director
Defined · s 2“Director” means the Director of Land Transport and includes any Deputy Director appointed under section 3(2);
driver
Defined · s 2“driver”, in relation to a motor vehicle, means the person having control of the steering apparatus thereof, including, in relation to a motorcycle, the rider thereof, and in respect of trailer, means the person driving the motor vehicle by which the trailer is being drawn;
motor vehicle
Defined · s 2“motor vehicle” means any mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads;
owner
Defined · s 2“owner” means the person in whose name a motor vehicle is registered by a licensing officer: Provided that in the case of a vehicle which is the subject of a hire-purchase agreement, the term means the person in possession of the vehicle under that agreement;
person
Defined · s 2“person” shall have the meaning assigned to it by the Interpretation and General Clauses Act;
road
Defined · s 2“road” means any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes;
traffic
Defined · s 2“traffic” includes vehicles of every description, pedestrians, processions, and bodies of troops and all animals being ridden, driven or led;
trailer
Defined · s 2“trailer” means any vehicle, which has no independent motive power of its own, and which is attached to or driven by a motor vehicle or is designed or intended to be so attached or drawn, but does not include a side-car in the case of a motorcycle;
vehicle
Defined · s 2“vehicle” means any vehicle, including a trailer, constructed, adapted or capable of being used on roads, whether mechanically propelled or not.
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