Fewer casualties with stiffer lorry ferrying rul
Straits Times, Aug 2, 2011
By Royston Sim
Photo caption: All light lorries ferrying passengers in the back are required to have higher side rails and canopies since February, while a similar rule kicked in to cover heavy lorries yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE
STRICTER rules to protect workers travelling in the back of lorries seem to be having an effect.
Fifty were killed or injured while travelling this way during the first six months of the year, a drop from 90 in the same period last year, police figures showed.
All light lorries ferrying passengers in the back are required to have higher side rails and canopies since February.
Owners who do not comply can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months. By June, 117 had been caught.
Yesterday, a similar rule kicked in to cover heavy lorries.
But it appears that a substantial number have yet to be retrofitted, as workshops that provide this service said they are still inundated with orders.
Mr Nicholas Neo, sales manager for Ng Wah Hong Enterprises, said his company has orders backed up until next month.
'It is the same thing that happened with the light lorries earlier this year. Many companies came to us only in July,' he said.
He said the massive tsunami that hit Japan in March led to delays in shipments of Japanese trucks. Many were delivered only last month, which partly accounted for the logjam of orders.
Some companies, on the other hand, have already finished retrofitting their fleets.
Mr Steven Lim, director of Wee Guan Construction, said higher side rails and canopies have been installed on his firm's 27 heavy lorries.
Singapore Contractors Association president Ho Nyok Yong said the majority of its 2,000 members have already retrofitted their fleets.
Some may have delayed doing so as they needed to decide which of their lorries should be used to ferry workers or transport machinery and equipment, he said.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also started handing out stiffer penalties in February for drivers or owners who flouted safety rules. These included higher fines and demerit points.
This move also appears to be working. An LTA spokesman said there were fewer offences in the first six months of this year than in the same period last year.
For example, 164 lorry drivers were booked this year for having empty seats in the cabin while carrying workers in the back, a drop from 863 last year.
Cases of drivers overloading their lorries with workers fell to 59 from 124 last year.
There were 27 lorry drivers who were booked for allowing workers to sit higher than 1.1m off the cargo deck, compared with 127 last year.
An LTA spokesman said: 'This may be indicative of greater awareness of and higher compliance by drivers and lorry owners with the safety measures.'
By Royston Sim
Photo caption: All light lorries ferrying passengers in the back are required to have higher side rails and canopies since February, while a similar rule kicked in to cover heavy lorries yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HESTRICTER rules to protect workers travelling in the back of lorries seem to be having an effect.
Fifty were killed or injured while travelling this way during the first six months of the year, a drop from 90 in the same period last year, police figures showed.
All light lorries ferrying passengers in the back are required to have higher side rails and canopies since February.
Owners who do not comply can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months. By June, 117 had been caught.
Yesterday, a similar rule kicked in to cover heavy lorries.
But it appears that a substantial number have yet to be retrofitted, as workshops that provide this service said they are still inundated with orders.
Mr Nicholas Neo, sales manager for Ng Wah Hong Enterprises, said his company has orders backed up until next month.
'It is the same thing that happened with the light lorries earlier this year. Many companies came to us only in July,' he said.
He said the massive tsunami that hit Japan in March led to delays in shipments of Japanese trucks. Many were delivered only last month, which partly accounted for the logjam of orders.
Some companies, on the other hand, have already finished retrofitting their fleets.
Mr Steven Lim, director of Wee Guan Construction, said higher side rails and canopies have been installed on his firm's 27 heavy lorries.
Singapore Contractors Association president Ho Nyok Yong said the majority of its 2,000 members have already retrofitted their fleets.
Some may have delayed doing so as they needed to decide which of their lorries should be used to ferry workers or transport machinery and equipment, he said.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also started handing out stiffer penalties in February for drivers or owners who flouted safety rules. These included higher fines and demerit points.
This move also appears to be working. An LTA spokesman said there were fewer offences in the first six months of this year than in the same period last year.
For example, 164 lorry drivers were booked this year for having empty seats in the cabin while carrying workers in the back, a drop from 863 last year.
Cases of drivers overloading their lorries with workers fell to 59 from 124 last year.
There were 27 lorry drivers who were booked for allowing workers to sit higher than 1.1m off the cargo deck, compared with 127 last year.
An LTA spokesman said: 'This may be indicative of greater awareness of and higher compliance by drivers and lorry owners with the safety measures.'
Comments
Post a Comment