N95 masks for public bus and rail workers, delivery riders amid haze
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Delivery riders who are members of the National Delivery Champions Association can collect their free N95 masks at NTWU canteens.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
- Bus and rail workers, plus delivery riders, will get free N95 masks as Singapore’s haze continues.
- NTWU also opened canteens at 30 interchanges and terminals for riders to refill water and rest. Foodpanda, Grab, and transport operators are supporting the effort.
- The haze has made outdoor work harder. Air quality stayed unhealthy on Oct 12, with PSI and PM2.5 readings still high.
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SINGAPORE – Bus and rail workers, as well as delivery riders who are members of the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), will be able to get free N95 masks as part of a move to support them as the haze persists in Singapore.
From Oct 12, the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) has also opened its canteens at 30 bus interchanges and terminals for delivery riders to refill their water bottles and take a breather, said National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling.
Announcing the measures in a Facebook post on the same day, Yeo said delivery riders who are members of the NDCA can collect their free N95 masks at the canteens.
Foodpanda said in a media statement on Oct 12 that it donated more than 2,500 N95 masks to support the mask distribution initiative for NDCA members.
This builds on the food delivery platform’s existing haze precautions for its riders, including regular air-quality advisories, flexibility for riders to adjust their schedules, and an app feature that allows them to take short breaks while retaining applicable incentives, it said.
The mask distribution initiative is also supported by Grab.
NDCA, in a separate Facebook post, said members can also enjoy drinks from 90 cents at the NTWU canteens at Ang Mo Kio, Jurong East, Punggol and Woodlands bus interchanges, as well as Shenton Way Bus Terminal.
Yeo, who is also the adviser to the NDCA and the executive secretary of the NTWU, said public transport operators Go-Ahead Singapore, SBS Transit, SMRT and Tower Transit have been working with NTWU to distribute N95 masks to bus and rail workers.
In her post, she said: “Our transport workers and delivery riders spend long hours outdoors, and the haze makes their work harder.”
Thanking NTWU canteen operators for making the initiative possible, she said: “Staying hydrated and taking adequate rest are part of MOM’s (Ministry of Manpower’s) haze advisory, and these are simple, practical ways we can support riders while they are out working.”
In an earlier Facebook post on Oct 11, NTWU reminded public transport workers to monitor the haze situation and wear N95 masks.
“Our public transport workers spend long hours outdoors, on the roads, at interchanges and along our rail lines,” it said.
“The ongoing haze makes their work more challenging, and we appreciate our public transport operators for working closely with NTWU to put workers’ health first and ensure they are protected.”
Air quality in Singapore first dipped into unhealthy levels on Sept 4.
The haze persisted across the island on Oct 12, with the 24-hour PSI staying in the unhealthy range and the one-hour PM2.5 readings hovering between the elevated and high bands.
The PSI reached a peak for 2026 on Oct 9, hovering at 192 in the central region between 5pm and 8pm. The highest hourly PM2.5 reading to date in 2026 – 171 – was recorded in the west on Oct 9.