SINGAPORE – More than 20 business associations on Tuesday issued a joint statement calling on the Government to take “careful consideration” when looking at possible regulatory changes to transporting workers on lorries, citing “real, practical and operational complexities” involved.
It was addressed and sent to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, and Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor. “Regulatory changes have the potential to acutely affect industries that have historically relied on this practice, leading to potential delays in completing projects and risking the livelihoods of workers who depend on these industries for their employment,” they said.
“As workers adopt other modes of transport more readily as their mode of commute, including public transport, there could be potential challenges, such as increased traffic and commuter congestion and delays in the current infrastructure that Singapore citizens use for their commute,” they said. After the two accidents in July, two separate statements urging safer transport for workers were co-signed and jointly issued by a total of 100 groups and individuals.