Joint Statement on Workers' Safety in Lorries

Introduction 

We, the undersigned groups and members of public from Singapore, are deeply concerned about the recent spate of lorry accidents (37 injured in two days between 18 and 19 July 2023) involving migrant workers. 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. 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, by removing the Road Traffic Act (RTA) exception that allows for workers to be transported on lorries, so that everyone is subject to the same passenger safety rules on our roads. 

Safety Concerns 

It is concerning that road safety guidelines are provided for securely transporting equipment on lorries, but not for migrant workers.The RTA  states that all loads must be "securely attached" to a lorry so that they do not fall or shift during transit. The Safe Loading on Vehicles Guidelines specify the necessary precautions to be taken, including the use of appropriate restraints, tie-downs, and preventing the load from shifting, falling, or posing hazards to other road users. It should be noted that transporting migrant workers on lorries poses significant safety hazards. As lorry original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have themselves stated, lorries are not designed to carry passengers, and the absence of appropriate seating and safety measures (such as belts) places the lives of workers in jeopardy. The lack of proper restraints increases the risk of injuries in case of a collision or abrupt stops. 

Current measures to alleviate the dangers of travelling on lorries are inadequate to ensure the safety of workers. These include the recent steps taken by the inter-agency advisory on safe transportation of workers, issued on 31 December 2022. It spells out new requirements under RTA and Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Acts concerning rain covers and driver safety. 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. 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. We must build a society where empathy guides our actions, and where every individual can work and live in safety and dignity. 

Our Asks 

In light of the recent lorry accidents involving migrant workers, we urgently call upon the MOT to take the following actions: 

Timeline for measures: 

  • Provide a timeline of measures working towards the removal of the RTA exception that allows for workers to be transported in lorries. 

  • Provide a timeline on when workers will be able to be transported safely on vehicles with seats and belts.

The 47 collective groups and members of the public are concerned about road safety and the lives of migrant workers. We have an obligation to fulfil the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of ensuring a safe and secure work environment for all workers (SDG 8.8: To protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments of all workers, including migrant workers). We hope that MOT will consider the aforementioned call in order to keep all people safe on roads. 

All Signatories:

  • 24Asia

  • A Good Space Limited

  • Adelina Koh Kui Hong

  • Aespadas Technologies

  • Anthea Ong, former Nominated Member of Parliament

  • Aphasia SG

  • Arthur Tan

  • CAPE

  • Change Our World 

  • Covid-19 Migrant Support Coalition (CMSC)

  • Doreen Ning

  • Dr Muntasir Mannan Choudhury, The Wandering Dervishes

  • Eastside Mutual Aid

  • Erica Lai

  • HealthServe

  • Henrietta Woo

  • Here With You Social Services

  • Humanitarian Organisation of Migrant Economies (HOME)

  • Hush TeaBar

  • IRB law corporation

  • ItsRainingRaincoats

  • Jack Sim, Bop Hub

  • Kai Ning 

  • Kavitha Krishnan 

  • Kok Heng Leun, Artist, Former NMP

  • Leow Yangfa

  • Maya Dance Theatre

  • Migrant Worker Centre

  • Miriam Yu

  • My Brothers SG

  • Priscilla Goh

  • Project Chulia Street

  • Quasa SG

  • Quek Wan Ting 

  • Sama Sama

  • Sanif Olek, Film maker

  • Serena Ho

  • SDI Academy

  • SG Climate Rally

  • Sg Food Rescue

  • SG Mental Health Matters

  • Shabir Music Asia Pte Ltd

  • Starlight Collective 

  • Students for A Fossil Free Future

  • Timbre Music Academy

  • Transient Workers Count 2 (TWC2)

  • Welcome In My Backyard (WIMBY)

*Link to the statement can be found here.

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