PICKUP TRUCKS CARRYING PASSENGERS (Accidents and violations)

Column: 1666

PICKUP TRUCKS CARRYING PASSENGERS:

(Accidents and violations): 7.

Mr Arthur Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the number of traffic incidents involving pickup trucks carrying passengers in the rear; (b) what is the policy on the number of passengers allowed in the rear of these trucks; and (c) what is the number of violations in the last two years.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, LTA has put in place a set of rules under the Road Traffic Act to ensure that owners or drivers of goods vehicles who transport their workers in the rear of a vehicle do so safely. Drivers must display a label on their vehicle indicating the maximum number of workers that can be transported, based on the space requirement of 4 square feet or 0.372 sq metres per person. For example, a pick-up can carry a maximum of nine to 13 persons depending on its size. If goods are transported, the number of persons will have to be reduced accordingly. The workers must be safely seated at a height of not more than 3.2 metres above the ground and the vehicle must not travel faster than 60 km per hour.

Sir, LTA takes a serious view of violations. It conducts regular enforcement actions against vehicle owners or drivers who violate safety rules. Last year, LTA issued 218 summonses to owners or drivers of goods vehicles caught carrying workers in excess of the maximum capacity on the cargo deck. For the first eight months of this year, 112 summonses were issued for such

Column: 1667

violations. This represents a drop of 22% compared to last year.

Accident statistics from the Traffic Police show that last year, there were 51 accidents involving lorries carrying workers on the cargo deck. For the first half of this year, there were 16 accidents - again, a drop compared to last year. The LTA will continue to monitor the situation closely and, if necessary, step up enforcement.

Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast): Clarification, Mr Speaker. Of the accidents that occurred, how many of them resulted in deaths?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, of the accidents that occurred, none of them resulted in death.