Videos of a lorry fitted out with individual compartments for workers are circulating online after being posted on May 13.

A photo of the lorry from a Facebook post by one Raj Singh, attracted criticism for its resemblance of transportation for animals, and its apparent safety issues.

The company responsible for the lorry's configuration, Shin Khai Construction Pte Ltd (Shin Khai), has responded to the criticism in a Facebook post, while the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have issued a joint statement on the matter.

Lorry setup was a demo for proposal to authorities

Shin Khai acknowledged that a video of its lorry setup was being circulated, and said that it had been filmed as an "internal demo".

The construction company said that it was "trying to find solutions in the midst of this crisis", and that the partitioned lorry design was a proposal to the authorities, as a way to increase the capacity on its lorries.

It said that the lorries had previously accommodated up to 23 workers, but were now able to fit only six, in view of safe distancing requirements for workers seated at the back of lorries. 

While Shin Khai had been advised to do more trips to ferry its workers, it said that it had hoped to reduce the time that workers' spent waiting for transport, as the lorries' capacity would have been doubled to 12 with the partition arrangement.

Apology for video's portrayal of workers

Shin Khai also responded to "comments from online netizens", acknowledging that to some, "the video might have portrayed the way we treated our workers as inhumane and without care", and apologised for this.

It also said that other comments were "encouraging", however, and that it would be appealing the decision.

Partitions assessed as "not secure"

According to a joint media response issued by MOM and LTA, the video, together with a proposal, was sent to MOM "for consultation" on May 12.

By the afternoon of May 13, the proposed set-up was collectively assessed by both agencies as being "not secure", since "any sudden movement while travelling on the roads might dislodge the partitions and endanger occupants as well as other road users".

The statement said that MOM and LTA understand that the partitioned lorry "has not been put into use yet".

Video of lorry

The video, which provides a detailed account of how the lorry was set up, can be found here:

Here is the statement from MOM and LTA in full:

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) are aware of a video circulating online and on Whatsapp, which shows a company demonstrating their installation of partitions in the rear carriage of a lorry. The video was part of a demonstration video and proposal sent by the construction firm to MOM for consultation on 12 May 2020. We understand that the video was taken at the company's workshop and the vehicle with the proposed partitions set-up has not been put into use yet.

MOM contacted the company in the afternoon of 13 May and clarified with them that the proposed set-up of the partitions in the rear of the lorry was not secure. MOM and LTA have collectively assessed that any sudden movement while travelling on the roads might dislodge the partitions and endanger occupants as well as other road users. We have informed the company of our assessment and advised them to review its plan.

In order to comply with the required safe distancing while transporting the workers, MOM has already issued specific guidance (go.gov.sg/safedistancingonlorries). This will mean each lorry being permitted to carry fewer workers than before.

We urge companies to reach out to the authorities to seek necessary clarification on safe distancing measures for lorries. Those who wish to report on workplace safety issues may submit their feedback through [email protected] or SnapSAFE mobile application.

Top photo via Raj Singh on Facebook