Speed limiters, co-drivers & rain covers to be mandatory for all lorries ferrying migrant workers

More details will be announced at a later date.

Jane Zhang | March 09, 2022, 05:00 PM

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Transporting bulky equipment in lorries and migrant workers separately in buses remains "operationally challenging and inefficient" for some companies, and mandating the retroactive installation of seatbelts in lorries is unfeasible and potentially unsafe, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said in Parliament on Wednesday (Mar. 9).

However, she announced, the government will be introducing several measures to improve the safety of workers being transported in lorries, including mandating that each lorry ferrying workers to have a speed limiter, a "vehicle person-in-charge",  and rain covers.

Need to take "balanced approach" and make sustainable changes

In her Committee of Supply (COS) Debate speech for the Ministry of Transport (MOT) on Wednesday, Khor responded to Member of Parliament Melvin Yong's question about whether it would be possible to discontinue the use of lorries for transporting workers.

Khor said that the government understands the concerns of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and unions, and also wants to improve workers' safety in order to "protect lives and livelihoods".

She said that the government needs to "take a balanced approach" and "make changes that are sustainable", and it has consulted "extensively" with trade associations in the construction sector, marine and process sectors, and private bus operators.

She explained that some small and medium enterprises may need to transport a small crew and bulky equipment to several different locations in a single day, and it would be "operationally challenging and inefficient" to use buses to ferry workers and separately transport equipment in lorries.

Not enough buses or drivers

Additionally, Khor said, private bus operators said that there are not enough private buses or drivers to transport the large number of workers in the manufacturing, construction, marine, and process sectors, particularly once other activities like tourism resume post-pandemic.

Fully transitioning to ferrying workers in buses could require double or even triple the number of large private buses in the industry today. Even if multiple and staggered trips were made, there would still be "significant" demand for buses, Khor said.

In addition, the bus operators had shared that the shortage of bus drivers would be "an even more binding constraint".

Khor stated:

"These challenges are not all insurmountable, but we will need time to work through them with the industry and relevant agencies."

She recognised that some firms have shifted away from using lorries already for some projects. For example, Tong Tar Transport was asked by a multi-national construction company to ferry around 3,000 workers between dormitories and the construction sites via buses.

"This was a large-scale endeavour that involved coordination among various bus operators, but shows that it is possible under the right circumstances. We encourage more in the industry to follow."

Speed limiters and designated "vehicle person-in-charge"

In the meantime, she announced that the government will be introducing several measures to improve the safety of workers on lorries.

Firstly, all lorries will be mandated to be equipped with speed limiters.

Currently, all lorries with a Maximum Laden Weight (MLW) exceeding 12,000kg must be equipped with speed limiters. The speed limiter regime will be expanded to include all lorries with a MLW over 3,500kg, which will cover all lorries.

More details will be released when ready.

Secondly, Khor shared, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will introduce new measures to require employers to provide sufficient rest for their lorry drivers — particularly those who work both as drivers and ground workers.

This is to "ensure that lorry drivers operate safely behind the wheel at all times", she said.

In addition, all lorries ferrying workers will be required to have a designated "vehicle person-in-charge", who will sit next to the driver and be empowered to stop the driver from driving if he is deemed to be unfit to drive.

According to a Land Transport Authority (LTA) press release, more details will be available in the second half of 2022.

Not feasible to require seatbelts to be installed

Khor noted that some people have suggested lorries be required to be fitted with seatbelts.

However, she said that the government recently consulted motor vehicle dealers and workshops again, who gave the feedback that retrofitting seatbelts would be unfeasible and could even pose safety risks.

This is because commercial lorries are not designed for seatbelts to be installed in the rear deck, as the floorboards may not be strong enough to keep seatbelts anchored in the case of an accident, Khor explained.

She added that there are also liability issues for making these types of modifications without the support of lorry manufacturers.

"Without the industry being able to bring in lorries with seatbelts and vouch for their safety, it is not prudent to mandate this."

Mandatory rain covers

Khor said the government had heard calls to make rain covers on lorry rear decks mandatory, in order to protect workers from weather elements.

She added that while "most employers today already do so", the government has decided to mandate the installation of rain covers on all lorries used to ferry workers.

MOM and LTA will announce more implementation details in the second half of 2022.

"We will continue to study further measures even as industries adapt and more companies move towards alternative modes of transport. Once again, I urge employers to do their part in ensuring the welfare and safety of their staff."

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Top photo via Facebook/Ministry of Manpower.