SINGAPORE, March 5 — From 2027, caged lorries will no longer be allowed to ferry workers in Singapore, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling announced on Wednesday, citing safety concerns.

According to CNA, the move comes after authorities noted that about 500 to 1,000 of the city-state’s 50,000 lorries have caged decks, which may still be used for goods transport. 

Companies that fail to comply with the new rules will face penalties, to be detailed ahead of the ban.

Sun said workers in lorries with locked cage doors could be trapped in the event of accidents or fires.

In the meantime, firms must provide safe access to lorry decks, or convert rear cages with canopies and side railings to meet safety standards.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) said they will continue engaging the industry and non-governmental organisations to strengthen transport safety for workers.

The Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC), affiliated with the NTUC, welcomed the announcement, calling it “an important step” in addressing long-standing safety issues. 

“Safety must always come first. Every worker deserves to travel safely to and from work,” it added.

Worker transport on lorries has long been debated in Singapore. 

Last year, migrant rights group HOME urged a ban, highlighting the risks to passengers. 

Authorities previously noted that over the past decade, lorry transport had caused an average of one worker fatality per year, while injuries dropped by more than 25 per cent from 2015–2019 to 2020–2024.

The decision follows high-profile incidents, including a January crash on Orchard Road that sent 12 lorry passengers to hospital, and a December 2023 collision in which nine Indian workers were seriously injured.