Ferrying workers in caged lorry decks to be banned from Jan 1, 2027

SINGAPORE – To improve the safety of worker transportation, workers cannot be ferried in caged lorry decks from Jan 1, 2027.

Announcing this move during the debate on her ministry’s budget on March 4, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said this follows other measures such as lower speed limits and minimum space requirements.

She added that caged lorry decks present additional safety risks to passengers seated in them.

“For example, if a lorry with a cage door that is latched or locked from the outside is involved in an accident or a fire, workers may not be able to escape,” said Ms Sun.

The change came after the authorities engaged with various industry stakeholders and non-governmental organisations, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

LTA added that companies that fail to comply with the ban from Jan 1, 2027 will be subject to penalties, and that more details will be shared before then. In the meantime, companies must continue to ensure that workers can board and alight safely from the lorry deck, it said. Based on a survey conducted with authorised inspection centres, lorries with caged decks comprise around 1 to 2 per cent of the approximately 50,000 lorries here, said LTA.

Companies may continue to use their caged lorries to transport goods and equipment, it noted. If they need the flexibility to transport either workers or goods on their rear decks, they can choose to replace the cage structure with a canopy, side railings and rain covers, said Ms Sun.

Here are other announcements that were made during the debate on the Ministry of Transport’s (MOT) budget:

At least one EV fast-charging hub in each HDB town by end of 2027

LTA will roll out around 20 more electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging hubs, so that every HDB town has at least one by the end of 2027. Each fast-charging hub will have at least six fast-charging points rated at 50kilowatts and above. There are currently 21 EV fast-charging hubs located across the island.

Such fast-charging points are suitable for those who prefer to charge their EVs while running errands for one to two hours, said Ms Sun. The upcoming hubs will be located near amenities and lifestyle facilities at HDB carparks and sports complexes.

Installation will start at sites including one near Bedok Sports Complex in Bedok, Leng Kee Community Club in Bukit Merah, near Choa Chu Kang Community Club in Choa Chu Kang, near Pei Tong Primary School in Clementi, near MacPherson Market and Food Centre in Geylang, near Compass One in Sengkang and near Plantation Plaza in Tengah.

Ms Sun said these are areas with higher EV charging demand and adequate electrical capacity.

As at end-January 2026, there are over 29,000 EV charging points – with about 12,000 being publicly accessible.

New structured skills pathway for EV technical specialists

Workers can now undergo standardised and structured training to become skilled EV technicians, with the launch of a new skills pathway.

Featuring a four-tier progression from technical specialist to engineer, the pathway will include courses curated from industry feedback and requirements, said MOT on March 4.

Ms Sun said this will chart the progression road map for a career in EV maintenance, including the training available from institutes of higher learning (IHLs), the Singapore Bus Academy and NTUC LearningHub.

MOT added that this will address the growing demand for skilled EV professionals as the country electrifies both its automotive and public transport sectors.

Ms Sun said major automotive employers, including Borneo Motors, BYD, Komoco and Cycle & Carriage, will support the initiative with employment opportunities.

The new skills pathway, which applies to existing and new specialists, will initially benefit more than 2,000 workers.

At present, there are about 2,000 automotive workshops and around 10,000 technicians in Singapore.

New programmes to boost recruitment, retention of aviation workers

Existing and prospective workers in the aviation sector can look forward to shorter training time for professional licences, upgraded workplaces and an industry-wide mentoring programme.

First, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on March 4 said it will work with IHLs to reduce the post-graduation training duration for air traffic controllers and licensed aircraft engineers to obtain their professional licences.

Currently, licensed aircraft engineers need up to 44 months of training after graduation before they can be deployed, while air traffic controllers have to undergo full-time training for at least 1½ years after graduation.

CAAS will work with IHLs and industry partners to integrate more “ready for work” content in the curriculum, while adopting new instructional technologies.

Second, CAAS will be reviewing airport and airfreight centre workplace amenities.

In April 2026, the authority will start a study on enhancing infrastructure, improving accessibility to and from the airport during late and early hours, smoothening worker movement across restricted areas and providing better rest facilities for workers. This will focus on improving and potentially introducing new common amenities and provisions at Changi Airport and Changi Airfreight Centre, beyond what individual employers currently provide, said CAAS. The study will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Third, CAAS is working with NTUC’s aerospace and aviation cluster of unions to institutionalise a sector-wide mentorship programme to better nurture young talent. More details will be announced over the course of 2026.

These three initiatives will be co-funded by CAAS, and be the first to tap the $200 million OneAviation Manpower Fund previously announced in July 2025.

Public consultations on the Land Transport Master Plan

On March 4, Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng highlighted three top priorities identified from LTA’s public consultation for the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP): connectivity, comfort and community. More than 200 people took part in six focus group discussions in January and February, with over 3,500 public responses received, said LTA.

On connectivity, participants called for more limited-stop bus services offering more direct links to transport nodes, and broadly agreed that public transport should be prioritised so travel times are closer to those by car, noted the authority.

Their second priority is comfort. LTA said suggestions in this area included reallocating road space for wider pedestrian paths, giving buses greater priority, and lowering vehicle speeds in residential areas.

Mr Baey said LTA is continuously improving the first-and-last-mile journey to transport nodes, through the building of covered linkways near MRT stations and the installation of lifts at existing pedestrian overhead bridges.

The third focus is community. Participants said they wanted a more inclusive transport system and a kinder commuter culture, with improvements to better support families with young children and those with mobility challenges, LTA said.

One of the LTMP 2040 targets is to allow people to commute to work within 45 minutes, but the authority noted that the performance for this indicator has been affected by lower-than-projected job decentralisation outside the Central Business District.

It added that residential developments located farther away from transport nodes and existing employment centres have contributed to longer commutes.

LTA said it is working to improve transport options to and from new and growing estates to hit this target.

Friendly Streets to be extended to city centre

An initiative to make areas around key neighbourhood amenities more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly will be expanded to the city centre, including Kampong Glam, and neighbourhoods such as Pandan Gardens.

LTA will be rolling out 20 more new pedestrian- and cyclist- friendly streets – or Friendly Streets – over the next few years, in areas with high pedestrian volumes near key amenities, such as markets, hawker centres, community clubs, schools and MRT stations.

Completed trials at five sites showed improvements in road safety, with more than 50 per cent of motorists agreeing that the green road markings and humps were useful in encouraging them to slow down. These trials took place in Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Batok West, Tampines, Toa Payoh and West Coast.

Ms Sun said average vehicular speeds dropped by up to 25 per cent at these sites.

A poll found that 95 per cent of respondents felt their walking experience improved with this initiative, and over 80 per cent said they would choose to walk more, according to LTA.