SINGAPORE \u2013 Three years after Mr Richard Lim, 68, installed caged decks on his 10 lorries, he will need to modify his vehicles again to comply with the ban on ferrying workers in such lorries taking effect in 2027.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The director of waterproofing and plumbing company B4 Water Leakage Specialist, which employs about 100 workers, paid almost $5,000 to modify each lorry in 2023. <\/p>\n Explaining why he spent \u201cso much\u201d on installing caged decks, Mr Lim said he felt it would be safer for the workers riding on the back of the lorries, as the barriers would prevent them from falling out if the vehicle braked suddenly.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first priority is the safety of my workers… I want them to come back in one piece and go home happily.\u201d <\/p>\n Mr Lim added that these cages are useful for storing expensive equipment such as water jets and high-pressure polyurethane foam machines, preventing theft when his lorries are parked by the road. <\/p>\n Mr Richard Lim, director of B4 \u00a0Water Leakage Specialist, spent about $5,000 to get each of his 10 lorries caged up in 2023. <\/p>\n ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The ban, which kicks in on Jan 1, 2027, was announced on March 4 during the debate on the Transport Ministry\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n It is meant to address the issue of workers being unable to escape when a lorry with a caged compartment \u2013 locked or latched from the outside \u2013 is involved in an accident or a fire. <\/p>\n Companies may continue to use their caged lorries to transport goods and equipment, but would need to replace the cage structure with a canopy, side railings and rain covers if they want to transport either workers or goods on their rear decks. <\/p>\n According to the Land Transport Authority, caged lorries comprise about 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the approximately 50,000 lorries here. <\/p>\n B4 Waterproofing Specialist plumbing worker Muthu Krishnan, 35, is among those ferried between jobs on the company\u2019s caged lorries. <\/p>\n The Indian national said the rear cage doors have always been fully opened and secured to the sides of the deck when the lorry is on the move with workers at the back. He does not fear being thrown out, as the lorry \u201ccannot drive quickly\u201d since the speed limiter caps its speed under 60kmh.<\/p>\n He and his co-workers usually secure all equipment tightly so they do not budge when the lorry moves, and there is enough space for five workers at the back, he added. <\/p>\n Workers secure the lorry\u2019s rear gate outside B4 Leakage Specialist at First Centre on March 20.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The rear doors are closed only when costly equipment and waterproofing machinery are left on the lorry deck, after he and his co-workers have exited the lorry, Mr Krishnan added.<\/p>\n When the ban enters into force, lorries used to transport workers cannot house caged compartments, even if the rear gates are kept open. Companies would need to remove the rear doors entirely and install side railings.<\/p>\n According to the Land Transport Authority, caged lorries comprise around 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the approximately 50,000 lorries here.\u00a0<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Mr Lim disagreed with some of the reasoning behind the ban. For instance, he said, lorries\u2019 engines are installed at the front where the driver\u2019s seat is, so it is unlikely that fires will break out at the back where the workers are seated. <\/p>\n Mr Dexter Yeo, general manager of truck customisation firm Meng Hui and Sons, said he charges about $600 to remove the wire mesh walls and swing doors of a lorry and to install a pair of stainless steel railings. These works can usually be completed within one or two days. <\/p>\n He said the firm has not received any formal requests for such conversions, but it expects a surge in requests about two months before the Jan 1, 2027, deadline \u2013 based on its experience when previous regulations were rolled out<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Mr Dickrose Masalamani, president of Singapore Plumbing Society, said most plumbing companies transport workers together with tools and materials such as brass fittings, copper components and stainless steel pipes.<\/p>\n This is why some firms use caged lorries to secure and protect materials while moving from site to site. These companies may need to switch to alternatives, such as closed vans or pickup trucks that can still house both workers and materials safely, he added. <\/p>\n But Mr Masalamani said the impact on businesses within the society will be \u201crelatively limited\u201d, as plumbing firms typically operate with smaller teams that do not require transporting many workers in lorries with caged decks.<\/p>\n Likewise, Mr Eddy Lau, executive director of Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore, which represents contractors and suppliers in the building and construction industry, said the impact on the alliance\u2019s members is \u201cexpected to be limited\u201d as caged lorries are used to transport workers by only \u201ca very small number of companies\u201d.<\/p>\n He called for practical and flexible solutions, such as removable systems, to help lorries be adapted to different transport needs more effectively. <\/p>\n Construction worker Sellaiah Ramkumar, 45, who would sit on the back of caged lorries in his previous role at a flooring works company from 2014 to 2016, said that it was \u201cnot comfortable\u201d as he had to squeeze with nine other workers and bulky equipment in a smaller enclosed space.<\/p>\n He added that he also had to worry about heavy equipment falling on him during transit in a caged lorry deck, and that some of his co-workers were injured previously. <\/p>\n Mr Ramkumar\u2019s current company ferries its workers on larger lorries without caged compartments, accommodating up to 24 workers on the back of each lorry.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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