SAFETY OF PASSENGERS TRANSPORTED IN OPEN VEHICLES

Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology what measures are taken to ensure the safety of passengers, especially workers, who are transported in pick-up trucks and other open vehicles.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Under the Road Traffic Act, the owner or hirer of a goods vehicle is allowed to use the goods vehicle to transport his workers to their place of work or business subject to various safety rules and requirements. For example, the workers must be seated in proper sitting position and in a manner that would not cause them to fall off the vehicle. For pick-up trucks, the vehicles used are required to have proper side-railings to further protect the passengers. In addition, it is an offence for the driver of the goods vehicle to carry an excess number of passengers or travel faster than the vehicle speed limit of 50 km/h.

In the last 12 months, more than 500 goods vehicles were booked by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for carrying unauthorised passengers or an excess number of passengers. LTA and the Traffic Police will continue to take enforcement action against drivers or vehicle owners who violate the safety rules and requirements while conveying workers on their goods vehicles.