From January, onsite workers who also double as drivers will be given a mandatory rest period of at least half an hour before they are allowed to transport other workers on the rear deck of lorries.

Also from next year, companies will be required to fit rain covers on lorries that are used to ferry workers, though they can do this in phases.

These were among the details of safety measures announced by the Land Transport Authority, Ministry of Manpower and Traffic Police on Wednesday (Oct 19).

In March, the Government had outlined broad moves that it wanted to implement to improve the safety and welfare of workers being transported on the back of lorries. The discussion about the issue had been sparked by a few road accidents involving lorries transporting workers.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after a visit to an engineering company, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said that the details of these safety measures were agreed on after extensive consultation with various stakeholders including industry players, non-governmental organisations and safety experts.

MANDATORY REST AND BUDDY SYSTEM

From January, employers are required to provide a rest period of at least 30 minutes to workers designated to drive their colleagues, who will be seated on the rear deck of lorries, if they had also been working on site for at least six hours.

This is to ensure the alertness and well-being of these drivers.

MOM will also require employers to designate a vehicle buddy for all lorries that are transporting workers in the rear decks, and adequately brief this buddy on his or her role.

An advisory covering various aspects of safely transporting workers will be issued before the measures are rolled out next Jan 1, the authorities said.

TRANSPARENT RAIN COVER

All lorries which are used to transport workers will be required to be fitted with rain covers.

At least one side has to be fitted with a transparent cover, to provide a sufficiently lit environment for passengers onboard.

LTA said that it recognises lead time will be required to implement these changes, and thus will be rolling them out in phases.

The covers will be fitted on all newly registered lorries by Jan 1.

Existing light lorries, with maximum laden weight not exceeding 3,500kg, will be required to retrofit the covers by Jul 2023.

Heavier lorries with maxium laden weight exceeding 3,400kg will be subject to the same requirement by Jan 2024.

Dr Khor said this implementation timeline will ensure that workshops have sufficient capacity and supply of such covers to install them on the lorries.

Dr Khor said on Wednesday that the authorities are still studying details on a plan to mandate speed limiters for lorries with maximum laden weight above 3,500kg to improve road safety and driving behaviour.

Currently, speed limiters are installed for all goods vehicles with MLW exceeding 12,000kg.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by TAUFIQ ZALIZAN

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