The recent slate of traffic accidents involving lorries ferrying workers has reignited concerns over the industrial practice.
As of Wednesday (26 July), 100 groups in Singapore have given their support in calling for an immediate ban on the practice of ferrying workers on goods lorries.
Source: Singapore Ministry of Manpower on Facebook
To facilitate the transition, the groups also urge the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to support companies facing challenges pivoting to “safer modes of transport”.
In a statement to the media, Workers Make Possible (WMP) — an organisation advocating for workers’ safety — shared a joint statement co-signed by 53 civil society organisations and community groups in Singapore. They called for:
The statement describes the Government’s steps in enhancing safety on lorries as “feeble” and “grossly inadequate”. These include mandatory measures like:
In their view, the purpose of good lorries was never to transport humans. On top of that, the practice of transporting workers on the back of lorries violates their dignity.
The statement also mentioned two traffic accidents in July 2023 which reportedly landed 36 workers who were passengers on lorries, in hospital.
The statement on Wednesday (26 July) comes just days after a similar statement on Monday (24 July) by Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME).
Source: HOME
Co-signed by 47 groups and members of the public, the statement called on the MOT to provide the following:
Some of the signatories include workers’ welfare group ItsRainingRaincoats, HealthServe, as well as ex-Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) Anthaea Ong and Kok Heng Leun.
Earlier this month, Nee Soon MP Louis Ng gave a passionate speech in Parliament, repeating earlier calls for a ban on transporting workers on the back of lorries.
Mr Ng referenced a bus incident in 2008 which led to the death of an eight-year-old student. The Government subsequently invested S$35 million in retrofitting all school buses with seat belts.
In contrast, Mr Ng said the practice of ferrying workers on lorries isn’t banned despite the known risks, pointing out why there are “double standards”.
Similar to HOME’s statement, he asked the transport ministry to plot a roadmap to ban transporting workers on the back of vehicles.
Mr Ng also asked for other safety measures to be implemented in the interim, including a trial for using buses to transport workers.
In response to his Adjourment Motion, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said the Government is “equally concerned” about workers’ safety.
Dr Khor explained that even though it’s not “ideal” for lorries to carry workers on their rear decks, it’s simply not realistic to introduce a blanket ban as the practice “cuts across various sectors and industries”.
As for ferrying workers using buses, she said such a move will exacerbate the current shortage of bus drivers.
In light of these considerations, Dr Khor explained that the authorities are targeting specific sectors, engaging companies that can transition to using buses, and exploring how they can scale up adoption of the practice.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Ministry of Manpower on Facebook.
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