Humans Aren't Cargo

TODAY, Jul 26, 2011 SINGAPORE - While heavy lorries transporting workers on cargo decks will need to put in place fittings to enhance workers' safety by next month, the authorities are for now not requiring a doubling of the minimum deck space per seated worker on both light and heavy lorries. This follows feedback from employers, and a further review of this measure will be conducted, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a statement yesterday. In the meantime, it would do a stock-take and assess the effectiveness of the measures already put in place in enhancing the safety and welfare of workers being transported on the cargo deck of lorries, the LTA added. As the measure is being reviewed, lorry owners are not required to recalculate the Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) nor change their vehicles' MPC label by next month. Meanwhile, heavy lorries transporting workers must be fitted with higher railings and canopies by next month - part of measures progressively rolled ou...

Straits Times, Jul 26, 2011 LORRY owners will not have to figure out how many passengers they can carry in the back of their vehicles by Aug 1. Under safety rules that would have taken effect from that date, they were supposed to allocate more seating space for workers at the back of their lorries. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is now reviewing its previous requirement that lorry owners double the minimum deck space for each seated worker to 8 sq ft. Lorry owners were then supposed to show the new Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) label on their vehicles. An LTA spokesman said some industry stakeholders have said that reducing maximum passenger capacity may lead to operational constraints. She said the authority will carefully assess the feedback from various industry groups while balancing safety needs of workers. Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL) president Ho Nyok Yong welcomed the news, and said 'it was a great relief'. He said some members were concerned because ...

Straits Times, Jul 14, 2011 By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent Photo caption: Yang Chao -- ST FILE PHOTO A CHINESE national was yesterday charged with causing the deaths of three passengers and injuring 13 others on the Pan-Island Expressway. Yang Chao (above, in shorts), 22, is said to have been driving a lorry there on June 22 last year when he allegedly caused the deaths of Chinese nationals Li Jia Jun, 40, Li Xian Long, 45, and Qiu Min Jun, 46, with a rash act on the slip road into Thomson Road. He is accused of failing to keep a proper lookout and travelling into the chevron markings while trying to change lanes to the left. In doing so, he allegedly crashed into the divider island, resulting in the lorry flipping onto its left and killing the three. He is also said to have caused grievous hurt to two passengers, and hurt to 11 others in the back of the lorry. The last charge accused him of going over the passenger load limit. Yang, represented by Mr Tan Cheng Kiong, will be back...