Migrant worker rights groups in Singapore call for timeline to ban transporting workers in lorries

SINGAPORE: Migrant worker rights groups have called on the government to lay out a timeline to ban the practice of ferrying workers on lorries following two accidents last week.

"While we appreciate efforts from the government to improve the safety of workers during transportation, these recent tragic incidents have highlighted the continued grave risks posed by transporting migrant workers on lorries," according to a statement signed by 47 organisations and members of the public, which was posted on Monday (Jul 24).

"Each life lost or major traumatic injury sustained represents a devastating blow to a family and community.

"We urgently call upon the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to consider worker safety on roads and provide a timeline to ban this unsafe practice in the future," the statement read, adding that this should be done by removing the exception in the Road Traffic Act that allows workers to be transported on lorries.

Organisations, including ItsRainingRaincoats, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), the COVID-19 Migrant Support Coalition (CMSC) and HealthServe, signed the statement, along with former Nominated Members of Parliament Anthea Ong and Kok Heng Leun.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a road traffic accident along the Kranji Expressway (KJE) toward the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) on Jul 18 at around 7.10am. Twenty-six people were sent to three different hospitals.

A day later, the police said 10 passengers from a lorry were taken to the hospital after an accident with a car along the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway towards the Tampines Expressway before Buangkok exit.

Two workers died in 2021 after an accident between a lorry and stationary tipper truck along the Pan Island Expressway. A review started in the same year, and in October 2022, the authorities announced several measures to improve safety. 

The issue of migrant workers travelling to and from work sites on the back of lorries is a perennial problem that has been raised in parliament as early as 2010.

Since January this year, rain covers have been mandatory on newly registered lorries, and employers are required to provide a 30-minute break to workers who have worked at least six hours before they take the wheel. 

"WORKERS DESERVE TO BE TRANSPORTED SAFELY"

Monday's collective statement said the current measures are "inadequate".

"While these are strong steps forward and do address real concerns on the ground, they do not address the root cause of these accidents – the unsafe transportation of workers on the lorry," the statement said.

"Our workers deserve to be transported safely, as their contributions are integral to Singapore's growth and prosperity and their lives and continued employment are essential to their families.

"By communicating an intention to ban this unsafe practice according to a timeline, we can send a powerful message about our commitment to ensuring the well-being of all workers in Singapore, regardless of their nationality or occupation."

The statement called on the Transport Ministry to provide a timeline of measures that work towards the removal of an exception in the law that allows workers to be transported in lorries and a timeline for when workers can be transported safely on vehicles with seats and belts.

It pointed out that there are rules stating that equipment must be secured so that it does not fall or shift during transit.

But belts are not required for workers on lorries, which "increases the risk of injuries in case of a collision or abrupt stops".

"We must build a society where empathy guides our actions, and where every individual can work and live in safety and dignity," the statement said.

Earlier this month, MP Louis Ng (PAP-Nee Soon) raised an adjournment motion on the matter.

"Over the years, we have done so much to make transport safer for our children taking the school bus and soldiers in (Singapore Armed Forces) tonners, but we still continue to transport our workers in unsafe conditions on the back of lorries. Why the double standards?" he asked.

"The worker sitting on the back of a lorry is also someone's son, brother or father, someone's loved one," he said.

In response, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said the number of injuries and fatalities has fallen, but the ministry does want to do more and do better.

She also highlighted challenges such as insufficient private buses and bus drivers, adding that a wider shift to mandate the use of buses to ferry workers would likely exacerbate the manpower crunch.