Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Amy Khor to Parliamentary Question on Transportation of Workers on Lorries

Mr Alex Yam Ziming asked the Minister for Transport

a.     how many deaths and injuries have resulted from accidents involving migrant workers transported in lorries since the implementation of stricter measures on 1 August 2011; 

b.     whether the Ministry will impose additional measures to ensure the safety of migrant workers being transported to and from work on their employers' vehicles; and 

c.     whether the Ministry will consider requiring employers to transport their workers in mini-buses or buses with compulsory seat-belting.

Ms Janet Ang asked the Minister for Transport

a.     how many accidents involving migrant workers transported in open lorries have occurred in the past five years; 

b.     how many of such accidents have been fatal; 

c.     whether it is legal to carry passengers in vehicles not intended for ferrying people and, if so, who takes responsibility when accidents happen; and 

d.     whether regulations can be improved to protect the safety of migrant workers during their daily commutes.

Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Transport whether LTA will review the safety regulations to enhance the level of safety of migrant workers being ferried in mini-lorries or to require that they be transported via buses.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport whether there are any plans to review the carriage of workers at the back of lorries or goods vehicles and, if not, whether LTA intends to introduce any new safety measures to enhance the safety of workers being carried at the back of such vehicles.

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Transport

a.     whether any study has been done to find out what are the estimated additional costs (as a percentage and in absolute quantum across the industry) as a result of regulations prohibiting the transport of workers in lorries and goods vehicles; 

b.     if yes, what are the findings of the study; and 

c.     what measures can be taken to assist with the increased costs associated with such a prohibition.

Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Amy Khor:

1.     Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer PQs 32 to 36 together, as well as Dr Wan Rizal’s PQ, scheduled for a subsequent sitting?

2.     Last month, there were two unfortunate accidents involving lorries that were transporting workers. The first occurred when a lorry ferrying 17 workers collided into a stationary truck along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) and resulted in two fatalities. The lorry driver has been arrested for careless driving causing death. The second incident involved a lorry ferrying nine workers but fortunately, there were no fatalities. Three days ago, there was an accident between a police van and a lorry ferrying 11 workers. 17 people, including five police officers, were conveyed to the hospital with minor injuries. 

3.     We are deeply saddened by the accidents and would like to offer our deepest condolences to the affected families. The accidents are currently being investigated by the Traffic Police. The party or parties found responsible will be dealt with based on our laws.

4.     Members have raised concerns on the use of lorries to ferry workers. Internationally, practices are varied. Countries such as Canada, Thailand, and the United States of America allow for passengers to be ferried in the rear deck of goods vehicles travelling on roads, albeit with safety precautions and some restrictions.

5.     From a road safety perspective, it would be ideal for lorries not to carry any passengers in their rear decks. But there are very significant practical and operational issues – on top of just cost considerations – which is probably why internationally, it is not an uncommon practice.

6.     I want to assure Members that we take seriously the safety and well-being of all workers, including our foreign workers, without whose contributions, Singapore would not be what it is today. As far back as 2008, a Workgroup co-chaired by the Ministry of Manpower and the Land Transport Authority conducted a thorough review of the safety of workers being transported on lorries. The Workgroup included members from industry associations, the National Safety Council of Singapore, Traffic Police and other government agencies. Over more than a year, the Workgroup studied the issue extensively and consulted widely, including industry groups, safety experts and transport operators. At that time, companies – especially small and medium enterprises in the construction industry – had strongly urged the Government to allow them to continue ferrying their workers in lorries. The industry associations also provided strong feedback that switching to dedicated bus transport would lead to significantly higher business costs. Other practical challenges were also highlighted. For instance, while lorries can have dual use for transporting workers and equipment, buses cannot, and this will result in significant productivity loss. Other proposals such as using vans with smaller capacities or lowering the cap on deck capacity were also considered, but there were concerns about driver fatigue, and therefore safety, as more trips would have to be made to ferry workers from one site to another.

7.     The Workgroup studied the various feedback carefully and laid out a set of recommendations to preserve workers’ safety and their livelihoods. As a result, the Government implemented enhanced safety measures for lorries ferrying passengers in 2009 and 2010. These include fitting higher protective side railings and canopy covers, and higher penalties for non-compliance – up to five times more. 

8.     The Workgroup’s recommendations aimed to protect not only the workers’ safety, but also their livelihoods – which was a difficult challenge. Since then, we have continued to review and refine our regulations. For example, since 2015, all S-Pass and Work Permit Holders are required to pass the necessary theory and practical driving tests before they can obtain a Singapore Class 3 licence that will allow them to drive light goods vehicles, including those which transport workers in the rear decks. 

9.     Over the last decade, the number of persons on-board lorries who were injured or killed in road traffic accidents has been on a downward trend. In 2019, the injury rate of persons on-board lorries is about 8.1 per 1,000 lorries, which is lower than the injury rate of persons on-board all motor vehicles at 8.4 per 1,000 motor vehicles. In 2020, traffic volumes were lower due to COVID-19 restrictions, and the injury rate of persons on-board lorries was about 4.5 per 1,000 lorries, compared to 5.6 persons on-board all motor vehicles per 1,000 motor vehicles. For this year up to March, the injury rate of persons on-board lorries is about 1.5 per 1,000 lorries, comparable with that for persons on-board all motor vehicles. Data for the full month of April 2021 is not yet available.

10.    The number of persons on-board lorries who were killed in road traffic accidents has also been on a downward trend. From 2011 to 2015, an average of 9 persons on-board per year were killed in road traffic accidents. This dropped to 2.6 per year from 2016 to 2020, or 2.5 if we exclude 2020. 

11.    That said, declining injuries and fatalities from such accidents should not make us complacent. One life lost is still one too many. Back in 2008, the Workgroup had thoroughly considered how to prevent this, and many of the suggestions raised by the Members today were previously studied by the Workgroup. For example, the Workgroup found that retrofitting seat belts in the rear decks of lorries could result in other safety risks. This is because commercially available lorries are not designed for seatbelts to be installed in the rear deck, and the floorboards in the rear deck might not be sufficiently strong to keep the seatbelts anchored in the event of an accident. 

12.    Compared to 10 years ago, regulatory changes at this time will cause even more acute pain to the industry, given that the industry is being severely affected by COVID-19. Worker supply has been disrupted leading to severe manpower shortages, projects are already delayed, and productivity has been affected because of safe management measures. Further regulations will likely have impact on the completion of various building projects, from BTOs to MRTs to nursing homes and hospitals, spell the demise of some companies and the loss of workers’ livelihoods. We cannot simply ignore these considerations.

13.    Notwithstanding the improvements made over the years, one fatality, is still one too many. We appeal to all road users to drive safely and responsibly. The Government will continue to conduct public education so that the lorry owners and drivers are reminded of the rules. LTA has also been stepping up enforcement to catch errant owners and drivers. The Government will continue to refine our policies and regulations to further minimise such situations involving our workers. 

14.    We have brought down the accident rates of lorries over the years and will continue to strive to do so. We note the concerns regarding this issue and understandably so. But this is an issue with multi-faceted considerations and wider ramifications, including on workers’ livelihoods. We will continue to review the safety rules, engaging the various stakeholders along the way, to see how to enhance these measures further. Meanwhile, I urge all employers to do their part to ensure the welfare and safety of their staff. Members of the public can also call LTA’s hotline to report any non-compliance with safety regulations. 

Please refer to the

Annex

for the number of fatalities/injured persons and fatality/injured person rates for road traffic accidents from 2011 to 2020.