SINGAPORE, May 12  — There have been more than 20 reported incidents involving drones since April last year, including two where drones fell onto MRT tracks, revealed Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew yesterday, in explaining the need for a new law regulating the safe use of unmanned aircraft.

None of the incidents caused injuries or damage to property.

Of the two involving MRT tracks, one happened at Commonwealth station in the middle of last month and the latest was at Lakeside station last Saturday.

One is still being investigated by the police, while the drone operator in the other has been issued a stern warning for committing a negligent act that endangered the life or personal safety of others.

“In both incidents, the member of public was flying the unmanned aircraft in a nearby open field and lost control of the unmanned aircraft, and this is within visual line of sight,” said Lui.

“One of them came to rest on the side of the tracks.

“Fortunately, no train service was disrupted, no damage was caused to the MRT tracks, and no one was injured.”

Under the new law passed yesterday, operators need a permit from the police to fly drones heavier than 7kg or if they want to fly one within 5km of an aerodrome.

If they are flying the craft outside the 5km radius of an aerodrome, they cannot fly it higher than 61m above mean sea level without a permit.

The new law will take effect on June 1.

Drones used for commercial purposes such as wedding shoots, or specialised services such as surveying, also need permits.

Banned are drones carrying dangerous materials such as weapons, or biochemical or radioactive materials. Offenders can be fined up to S$100,000 (RM270,013) and/or jailed for up to five years.

During the debate on the Unmanned Aircraft (Public Safety and Security) Bill yesterday, which includes a new section allowing inspectors to order operators to end flights when there are safety risks, Members of Parliament raised concerns about several areas.

For instance, they asked how the law would deal with drone flights that invaded privacy. In response, Lui said such incidents would be investigated on a case-by-case basis, and existing laws under the Penal Code and Protection from Harassment Act allow enforcement action.

Nevertheless, an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Committee, which is forming a comprehensive framework to regulate drones, will look deeper into privacy issues, he said.

To prevent cases where operators unintentionally fly drones into restricted zones, Lui said protected areas will be properly described and published in the Government Gazette.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore will also distribute guidelines and posters as well as hold briefings, he added.

MPs Gan Thiam Poh and Ang Wei Neng raised concerns over how exactly law enforcers would stop or take control of unsafe drone flights.

Lui said he did not want to “divulge too much into the capabilities that we have to deal with this”, but said the way it is carried out will take into consideration the need to ensure public safety.

Commenting on the new law, National University of Singapore researcher Phang Swee King, who flies drones almost every day as part of his work, said the restrictions weren’t too strict for him. For instance, drones that weigh more than 7kg are usually meant for long-distance flights and not that common in Singapore, he said.

Nanyang Technological University student Yeo Kai Wen, who owns an unmanned aircraft, added that many drones today are equipped with software that help operators avoid restricted zones using global positioning systems.

The list of restricted zones will be updated on the software when the Government publishes new data, the 26-year-old hobbyist added. — TODAY