Stakeholders' Feedback on Safety of Transporting Workers on Back of Lorries and Suggestions to Ban This

5 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Transport (a) what feedback has the Ministry received from stakeholders to (i) improve the safety of workers transported on the back of lorries and (ii) ban the transport of workers on the back of lorries; and (b) how does the Ministry intend to address such feedback.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Speaker, my response today will also cover related questions filed by Mr Louis Ng and Ms Hazel Poa for subsequent Sittings.

Improving the safety of all road users is a priority for the Ministry of Transport (MOT); and this requires the collective effort by all stakeholders. Over the years, Government agencies have been working together with our tripartite partners to continually review the transportation of workers on board lorries and to put in place practical measures that can help to reduce risks and enhance safety.

The Government takes a coordinated and multi-pronged approach. First, we aim to reduce the need to transport the workers, such as by facilitating the co-location of worker dormitories near to where they work, where feasible. This is the case, for example, in the shipyards and larger construction sites.

Second, we encourage alternatives to lorries, such as buses. We have been engaging our industry associations to encourage their members to transport their workers on buses, and a number of companies have responded. Woh Hup, a homegrown construction firm, has been transporting most of its workers in buses rather than lorries. Other companies, like Straits, are also doing the same. The industry associations and employers have said that they will do their best to transition to safer modes of transport for workers where possible.

Some have suggested that the Government should ban the transportation of workers on the back of lorries. While this suggestion is well-intentioned, it is not a practical solution, especially for some contractors. For larger projects where the workers are housed in offsite dormitories, many are already being transported in buses to the worksite. However, for many micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), it is neither practical nor viable for the employers to have different vehicles and drivers to transport a small number of workers separately from their equipment and goods. For instance, those in the specialist trades typically need to transport a small crew of workers and equipment to several locations within a day, and to ensure that both the workers and equipment can arrive at the site simultaneously to minimise downtime.

These are not just financial constraints but practical operational challenges that I hope Members can appreciate will be difficult for our SMEs to implement. Banning the use of lorries is also not feasible due to the acute shortage of bus drivers, which is already experienced by the public transport, tour bus and school bus sectors.

Taking such an approach will have a significant impact on the viability of our SMEs. Many of them could be forced to shut down, causing workers, both local and foreign, to lose their jobs. It will also lead to delays for critical projects like the Housing and Development Board flats, schools, hospitals and Mass Rapid Transit lines, and result in higher cost for Singaporeans. A balance needs to be struck to protect the lives and livelihoods of workers, and to look after the well-being of all Singaporeans.

That is why we continue to push ahead with the third prong, which is to make it safer for everyone when employers need to use lorries to ferry their workers.

We rolled out several measures over the past few years, together with our tripartite partners and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These include requirements for dual role drivers, or workers who also have driving responsibilities, to have sufficient rest; for drivers of lorries ferrying workers to have a "vehicle buddy"; as well as for the mandatory installation of rain covers. These measures came into force on 1 January 2023. We had also implemented measures prior to this, such as requiring lorries to be fitted with canopies and higher protective side railings, have lower speed limits and minimum space requirements.

Mr Speaker: Senior Minister of State Khor, you might want to round up your answer.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: Just one more paragraph, Speaker.

Mr Speaker: Short paragraph, I hope.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: It is quite short. Under the Road Traffic Act, all equipment on board lorries must also be properly secured to ensure safety for all road users and workers.

In addition — my apologies, Speaker, the paragraph is not very short.

Mr Speaker: Please make it short. We are actually out of time. We are giving you a bit more time.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: Thank you very much, Speaker. Let me also touch on this point that we also regularly engage key stakeholders including NGOs, industry associations and the academia. At these joint meetings, the NGOs and industry associations update one another about their concerns, as well as the challenges faced on the ground and initiatives to improve the situation.

I want to thank these stakeholders for walking this journey together with us to enhance safety for our workers. NGOs, such as Migrant Workers' Centre, COVID-19 Migrant Support Coalition, HealthServe and ItsRainingRaincoats, have been engaging and educating workers on the various measures that have been implemented and importantly, what workers should expect from their employers.

Let me end by saying that the Government is committed to continue working closely with our stakeholders to improve the safety of our workers and all road users, but we want to do so in a practical and effective manner.

11.33 am

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Introduction of Government Bills.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]