Capacity restrictions for employer-provided transportation ease in Phase 3

Michelle Zhu

Published Mon, Dec 28, 2020 · 08:58 AM

WITH the commencement of Phase 3 from Dec 28, 2020, the 25 per cent reduction in maximum passenger capacity (MPC) for transportation provided by employers, such as private buses, vans and lorries, will no longer apply.

This means that each lorry and van with a clear deck area may now carry up to the maximum number of workers stated on the MPC label displayed on their respective vehicles, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in an updated advisory on Monday.

To recap, the 25 per cent reduction in MPC allowable was announced by Singapore's Multi-Ministry Taskforce earlier in May this year, as the city state announced a phased approach to resuming activities safely upon exiting the circuit breaker period from April 7 to June 1, 2020.

MOM and LTA emphasise in their latest advisory that employers, transport providers and drivers must ensure that workers ferried on any employer-provided transportation are to continue adhering to existing safety measures in place. These include wearing a mask and avoiding talking or interacting at all times while on the motor vehicle.

Employers must continue to arrange private transportation for workers staying in dormitories to commute to and from their workplaces, with no other passengers. They should also make provisions for additional trips or vehicles if necessary.

"These measures are necessary to prevent cross-infections between migrant workers living in dormitories and the community, in both directions," said the authorities in their updated advisory.