Humans Aren't Cargo

Straits Times, Published on Feb 21, 2012 By JALELAH ABU BAKER Photo caption: The lorry was heading to the workers' dormitory when a van crashed into it in Woodlands Avenue 12 on Sunday night, killing Mr Ibrahim and injuring the other six onboard. The driver and two front-seat passengers of the van were arrested --PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS A BANGLADESHI construction worker died on Sunday night when a van crashed into the lorry he was travelling in. Mr Ibrahim Hawlader Abdur Rahim Hawladwe, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene about 10 minutes after the accident. It occurred in Woodlands Avenue 12 at about 10.35pm. He had been sitting in the back of the lorry with fellow workers and the impact of the crash hit him the hardest. The unmarried man had been working here for slightly more than a year. Five other Bangladeshi men, also construction workers, were injured and admitted to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. Two of them have since been discharged, while the other three wer...

by Sumita Sreedharan TODAY, Jan 19, 2012 Photo caption: Workers on the back of a pick-up truck. TODAY FILE PHOTO SINGAPORE - Fewer offenders were caught not complying with safety rules for ferrying workers on lorries from February to September last year, with the number dropping 49 per cent to 1,329 after stiffer penalties kicked in in February last year. Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said this in Parliament yesterday in response to queries by Chua Chu Kang GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Alex Yam. Mrs Teo also said the number of accidents in the eight months before and after enhanced penalties took effect also fell. The number of fatalities fell from five to zero and the number of injuries dropped to 83 cases from 199 cases. The Land Transport Authority had implemented a set of rules to enhance the safety of workers being transported in the rear of lorries and pick-up trucks, following accidents involving workers being ferried in such a manner. MPs also ex...

Straits Times, Published on Jan 19, 2012 By MARIA ALMENOAR Photo caption: No workers died in the eight months after the new rules kicked in, compared with five in the eight months before. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN STIFFER penalties designed to protect workers transported on the backs of lorries seem to have had the desired effect. The number of employers caught for flouting safety rules between February and September last year was 1,329. This is 49 per cent lower than the 2,601 caught in the eight months before the stiffer rules were implemented on Feb1 last year. In Parliament yesterday, Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo gave an update on the effectiveness of the new rules while responding to questions by MP Alex Yam (Chua Chu Kang GRC). Since February last year, all light lorries ferrying passengers in the back have been required to have canopies and higher side rails. Owners who do not comply can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months. Th...

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 f...

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...