Lorries not meant to transport people. NSmen Different.

[makapaaa]

Jun 26, 2010

'Lorries not meant to transport people.'

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'Lorries not meant to transport people.'

MS TAN CHUI HUA: 'It is time for the Land Transport Authority to take passenger safety seriously. To insist on technicalities such as overcrowding of lorries or whether railings should be installed over a specified period does not address the core issue which is lorries are not meant to transport people. The attention paid to passenger safety in buses and cars versus the indifferent attitude towards the risks faced by passengers in lorries suggests double standards.'


'I cannot comprehend why LTA raised the speed limit.'
MR CHIANG MENG LEE: 'My answer to Wednesday's report ('Must workers travel this way?') is yes. Provided, of course, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) effectively ensures that these lorries observe the 60kmh speed limit and they are confined to travelling on the slowest lane on the expressways. I cannot comprehend why the LTA raised the speed limit for vans, lorries and trucks and allowed them free rein on all expressway lanes bar the speediest. It is common these days to see such vehicles hogging most of the lanes, holding up the flow of expressway traffic.'


'Workers must be ferried in buses or vans.'
MR ROGER OH: 'People should never be ferried on pick-up trucks and lorries that offer them little or no protection. Workers must be ferried in buses or vans. All too often, I have seen drivers of pick-up trucks tearing down the expressways with a load of passengers at speeds of 90kmh or more.'

 

[makapaaa]

Jun 26, 2010

Don't wait for new measures

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THE Land Transport Authority has given employers until 2012 to install higher railings and canopies on their lorries.
Does it not matter that more lives of foreign workers could be lost during this period before the deadline?
It is worth noting that when the new measures were announced, the work group which recommended them did not have any union representative or workers' group on its committee.
So, it is not surprising that the recommendations fell short of ensuring more urgent action to ensure worker safety.
We hope that Tuesday's fatal accident off the Pan- Island Expressway, in which three workers died, will not be treated as just another statistic.
It should be a strong wake-up call to fix the inadequacies of the current system with more effective and comprehensive measures.
Jolovan Wham
Executive Director
Humanitarian Organisation
for Migration Economics

 

[makapaaa]

Jun 26, 2010

Workers want urgent action

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THE Building, Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union is troubled and dismayed at the injury and deaths of workers from accidents involving open-top vehicles year after year. Workers have a right to safe work places, decent and hygienic housing, and safe transport.
Businesses must worry about costs and profitability. That is fair, but it is not a reason for taking the safety of workers less seriously than they should.
It is convenient to fault workers and drivers for the accidents. While they may be at fault in cases, the issue is about employers practising due diligence for key aspects of the safety process; be it the choice of vehicle used, driving skills or passenger load.
We urge the authorities to reinforce these safety standards, and implement and enforce them rigorously without delay. The latest string of such mishaps requires urgent action.
Heng Chee How
Executive Secretary
Building, Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union

 

[makapaaa]

Jun 26, 2010

Speeding by lorry drivers the deadliest danger

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TUESDAY'S fatal accident involving the death of three foreign workers being ferried in a lorry and similar tragedies are not due to safety issues regarding the mode of transport or the manner in which these workers are ferried.
The primary culprit is speeding.
Lorries travelling faster than most cars is a common sight. And heavy or sudden braking by such large speeding vehicles inevitably invites tragedy.
So, drivers of such vehicles and their minders - employers - should pay primary attention to the fact that they should not speed while driving a lorry for any reason.
Indeed, it may be worth checking what speed the drivers were travelling at in accidents involving lorries or similar vehicles.
Speeding also drastically reduces the chances of taking timely evasive action in emergencies.
Most workers, who sit at the back of the lorries, use the travel time to catch some sleep.
So, when the drivers brake heavily, sleeping workers who are completely vulnerable without seat belts will be seriously injured or die.
The authorities should implement initiatives to educate lorry drivers about speeding on our expressways.
Stewart Sanjay

 

[Watchman]

Default Lorries not meant to transport people. NSmen Different.

NSmen are different ! They are not people .

They are State 's SLAVES .