Healthcare professionals in Singapore are intensifying calls for a ban on transporting migrant workers in lorries after yet another accident left five workers hospitalized. A petition signed by over 300 healthcare workers was submitted on February 28, challenging the government’s continued support for the practice.
The latest accident occurred on March 1 when a lorry carrying migrant workers collided with a car at a Punggol junction. Five men aged 25 to 45 were taken to the hospital, while two others declined medical assistance. The 41-year-old lorry driver was arrested for dangerous driving, and investigations are ongoing.
The petition, led by the healthcare collective Sick & Tired, directly responded to statements made by Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor in Parliament on February 26. Khor argued that banning lorry transport would place financial strain on small businesses and exacerbate the shortage of bus drivers. However, healthcare workers strongly rejected this stance, pointing out the frequent and severe injuries they witness among migrant workers due to unsafe transport.
Their frustration is fueled by cases like the December 2024 death of 40-year-old Shohag Mohammad, who died in a lorry accident, leaving behind his young daughter. Between 2011 and 2020, 58 workers died in lorry-related road accidents, with 4,765 others injured.
Advocacy groups continue pushing for safer alternatives, such as shared buses and goods-cum-passenger vehicles, which are used in other countries. They also question why the S$1.1 billion collected in foreign worker levies in 2020 has not been allocated to help businesses transition to safer transport methods.
Public pressure for a ban has been growing, with over 50 community organizations signing a joint statement in 2023, and students recently joining the movement. Despite this, the government has maintained that an outright ban is impractical, instead implementing safety measures like speed limiters and encouraging companies to use buses where possible.
The petition concludes with a serious warning: “How many more workers will be injured while the government continues to have ‘difficult conversations’? Migrant workers’ lives must come before business concerns.”
As accidents continue, advocates stress the urgent need for action, fearing that further delays will result in more preventable injuries and deaths.