SINGAPORE - A plan by a company to have physical partitions installed in the back of a lorry, so that safe distancing can be ensured while workers are transported during
the Covid-19 outbreak, has been given a no-go by the authorities, even as a video of the vehicle made the rounds online.
The authorities explained that the set-up was not secure and asked the company to review its plan.
The clip was part of a demonstration video and proposal sent by a construction firm to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for consultation on Tuesday (May 12), MOM and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times in a joint statement on Thursday.
It is understood that the clip was taken in the workshop of the company, local construction firm Shin Khai Construction, and shows a lorry's rear carriage with physical dividers to separate workers seated there. The set-up has not been put into use yet.
After the video was posted online, it drew criticism from some netizens, who said that the way the workers had to sit in compartments created by the dividers was undignified. Some added that the workers could be at a higher risk of injury should an accident occur.
However, some said the partitions were a cost-effective way for the company to continue transporting its employees.
Last month, the Government announced tighter safe distancing measures to reduce the local spread of Covid-19. The measures aim to significantly cut physical movement and interactions of people. This means that employers and lorry owners must adopt safe distancing measures at the back of lorries.
