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Safety Regulations For Lorries Carrying Workers
Under the Road Traffic Act, lorries cannot be used for private passenger transport. However, the Road Traffic Act provides an exception for owners and hirers of lorries to use their vehicles to transport their workers to and from their lodgings and places of work, or between their places of work, subject to the following requirements:
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The lorry must not travel faster than the posted road speed limit or the vehicle speed limit of 60 km/h, whichever is lower. |
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The front passenger seat(s) in the lorry's cabin must be occupied before workers can be carried on the rear carriage deck. |
Note: Please check the vehicle registration records of your vehicle to determine how many passengers you can carry in your lorry's front cabin.
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Workers carried on the carriage deck of lorries must be properly seated in a manner that would not cause them to fall off the vehicle. |
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No part of the seated worker, when he is in a seating position shall be more than 1.1 metres from the carriage deck. This is to lower the risk of a worker falling off from the back of a lorry. |
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If goods are also transported, they must be properly secured such that they will not endanger the workers carried or other road users. |
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All light lorries (G-Plate lorries with maximum laden weight not exceeding 3,500 kg) used to transport workers are to be fitted with canopies and higher side railings by 1 February 2011. Heavy lorries (X- or Y-Plate lorries with maximum laden weight exceeding 3,500 kg) will need to comply by 1 August 2011. Note: The side-railings should be fitted up to a height of not less than 700 millimetres from the carriage deck and not less than 300 millimetres from the top of the side-boards. For light lorries (G-Plate lorries with maximum laden weight not exceeding 3,500 kg), the height of the canopy structure must not exceed 1.35 times the height of the lorry's cabin when measured from the road surface to ensure the stability of the vehicle. For heavy lorries (X- or Y-Plate lorries with maximum laden weight exceeding 3,500 kg), the height of the canopy structure must not exceed 3.2 metres when measured from the road surface (regardless of the height of the lorry's cabin). Certification from a Professional Engineer would be required if the height limit is exceeded |
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The lorry must not carry an excess number of workers based on the minimum deck space requirement of 0.372 square metres (or 4 square feet) per seated worker. If goods or equipment are also transported, the number of workers that may be carried is reduced according to the remaining floor area available. |
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Lorry owners who wish to use their lorries to carry their workers must display a Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) label on the right side of lorry's rear tailboard indicating the maximum number of workers that can be transported when the carriage deck is empty. |
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Lorries registered before 1 January 2010 and used to transport workers will continue to display MPC label with white characters on a black background. Lorries registered on or after 1 January 2010 and used to transport workers will display MPC label with black characters on a yellow background. |
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Ensuring the safe transportation of workers is the joint responsibility of the Government, employers, drivers, workers and other road users.
Determining Maximum Passenger Capacity
When determining the maximum passenger capacity of a lorry's carriage deck, the usable deck area should not include the area occupied by any permanent fixtures on the carriage deck such as cranes and toolboxes.
Example
A lorry with a permanent toolbox secured on the carriage deck has the following dimensions:
Lorry total deck area = 3.1m (Length) x 1.6m (Width) = 4.96m2
Area occupied by permanent toolbox = 1.6m x 0.65m = 1.04m2
Example
A lorry with a permanent toolbox secured on the carriage deck has the following dimensions:
Lorry total deck area = 3.1m (Length) x 1.6m (Width) = 4.96m2
Area occupied by permanent toolbox = 1.6m x 0.65m = 1.04m2
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Enhanced Penalties for Non-Compliance with the Safety Regulations
From 1 February 2011, the Land Transport Authority and the Traffic Police will impose higher fines as well as demerit points for non-compliance with safety regulations put in place for the transportation of workers on lorries.
Please refer to the table below for the details of the enhanced penalties.
Please refer to the table below for the details of the enhanced penalties.
| S/N | Offences | Penalty (Fr 1 Sep 2009) |
Penalty (Fr 1 Feb 2011) |
| DRIVER-LIABLE OFFENCES |
| 1 | Failing to fill up front seats first | $200 | 1st Offence: $500 + 3 Demerit Points Repeat Offence: Court Action# |
| 2 | Failing to comply with 1.1m height limit | $200 | 1st Offence: $500 + 6 Demerit Points Repeat Offence: Court Action# |
| 3 | Carrying excess workers (< 25% of the allowable number) | 1st Offence: $500 Repeat Offence: Court Action |
1st Offence: $500 + 6 Demerit Points Repeat Offence: Court Action# |
| 4 | Carrying excess workers (> 25% of the allowable number) | 1st Offence: Court Action Repeat Offence: Court Action |
1st Offence: $500 + 6 Demerit Points Repeat Offence: Court Action# |
| 5 | Carrying passengers on a goods vehicle in a dangerous manner | Light Goods Vehicles: $150 fine + 6 Demerit Points Heavy Goods Vehicles: $180 fine + 6 Demerit Points |
1st Offence: $500 + 9 Demerit Points Repeat Offence: Court Action# |
| OWNER-LIABLE OFFENCES |
| 6 | Failing to fit canopy on lorries used to carry workers | 1st Offence : $200 2nd Offence: $500 3rd Offence : Court Action |
1st Offence: Court Action# Repeat Offence: Court Action# |
| 7 | Failing to fit higher side railings on lorries used to carry workers | 1st Offence : $200 2nd Offence: $500 3rd Offence : Court Action |
1st Offence: Court Action# Repeat Offence: Court Action# |
| 8 | Failing to display MPC label | $100 | No Change |
| 9 | Displaying incorrect MPC label | 1st Offence : $100 2nd Offence: $200 3rd Offence : $500 |
No Change |
# First offence on conviction in Court: fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.
Subsequent offences on conviction in Court: fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.
Subsequent offences on conviction in Court: fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.
Public Education Materials
The following public education materials have been developed to raise awareness of the safety regulations and enhanced penalties for lorries carrying workers.
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Click to download a Sample of Poster - 4 Simple Steps to a Safer Ride [136 Kb] |
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Click to download a Sample of Flyer - Keeping Your Workers Safe [534 Kb] |
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Click to download a Sample of Dashboard Sticker [33 Kb] |
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Click to download a Sample of Lorry Sticker [78 Kb] |
Frequently Asked Questions
Please click here to access the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Enquiries and Feedback
If you wish to report any instances of non-compliance spotted on the road (such as lorries carrying excess workers or in a dangerous/precarious manner) or have any enquiries on safety regulations for lorries carrying workers, please contact LTA at 1800-CALL LTA (1800-2255 582).