Question:
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many work-related road fatalities and injuries have been recorded in the first half of 2025; (b) how does the Ministry intend to ensure that the 2026 deadline to install mandatory lorry speed limiters is met; and (c) what are the Ministry’s plans to further improve the safety of workers, particularly those transported in the back of lorries.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:
1. Data on injuries from work-related traffic accidents in 2025 will only be released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) next year. In 2024, four fatalities and 20 major injuries caused by such accidents were reported to MOM.
2. All lorries with a maximum laden weight of between 3,500kg and 12,000kg must be fitted with speed limiters by their respective deadlines of between 1 January 2026 and 1 July 2027, depending on their date of registration and weight category. The Traffic Police (TP) has engaged lorry owners extensively through direct communications, industry engagements, and public awareness campaigns.
3. TP is also developing initiatives to incentivise vehicle owners to install speed limiters early. For example, drivers will be prioritised for Class 4 automatic transmission vehicle lessons if their employer has completed installing speed limiters on the company’s lorry fleet. Other initiatives will be announced next month.
4. Lorry owners who fail to comply will be liable for a fine of up to $1,000. Their vehicles will fail their regular mandatory inspection and be prohibited from being driven on our roads.
5. The Government takes a multi-pronged approach to ensuring the safety of workers. First, reduce the need to transport workers, such as by facilitating the co-location of worker dormitories near to where they work, where feasible. Examples of such workplaces include shipyards and larger construction sites.
6. Second, we have been engaging the industry associations to encourage their members to transport their workers on buses, rather than lorries. Woh Hup, a homegrown construction firm, has been transporting most of its workers in buses. Other companies like Straits Construction are doing the same.
7. Third, we have rolled out several measures over the past years to better protect workers if employers need to use lorries to ferry them. An example would be the requirement for lorries to be fitted with speed limiters.
