Foreign Drivers Licensed to Drive Commercial Vehicles in Singapore

Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the current number of foreign drivers who are licensed to drive commercial and goods vehicles in Singapore; (b) what measures are in place to ensure that they are sufficiently competent to drive on Singapore roads; (c) what initiatives are in place for them to understand our local road behaviour and norms; and (d) over the last five years, what is the percentage of foreign drivers who have kept clean and accident-free driving records and how does this compare with local drivers.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: There are around 9,000 foreign workers who are drivers by occupation as of May 2012. Most of them drive commercial and goods vehicles for work purposes.

A foreign driver is required to pass the Basic Theory Test (BTT) before he can convert his licence. The BTT ensures that foreign drivers are acquainted with the Highway Code, including our traffic/road signs and signals. In addition, a foreign driver is also required to take and pass a practical test before he is allowed to drive heavy vehicles.

The Traffic Police (TP) works closely with dormitory operators, corporate partners and organisations that employ a large number of foreign workers and drivers to educate them on road safety. Road safety advisories and penalties for common traffic violations are uploaded on TP's website and included in the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) orientation materials for the foreign workers.

In all, of the approximately 370,000 foreign drivers with converted Class 3/3A driving licences, about 0.1% of them contributed to traffic accidents that resulted in a fatality or injury over the past five years. In comparison, the accident contribution rate of Singapore drivers holding valid Class 3/3A licences over the same period was 0.3%.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and MOM are reviewing the framework for drivers who ferry workers in the course of their work. For such drivers, a stricter standard is being considered. We will announce details of these changes once the review is completed.

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