<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Safer to ferry workers in buses
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I WELCOME the Government's initiative to give more protection to workers ferried on lorries.
It is a step forward. However, it may still not be enough. Lorries are for transporting goods, not people.
As a general surgeon in a public hospital, I have seen many cases of lorry passengers suffering serious injuries in traffic accidents.
We emphasise the use of safety devices such as seat belts and airbags in cars, and it is obvious that none of these features is available at the back of a lorry.
To ensure the safety of their workers, contractors can instead hire buses from private operators to ferry their workers to and from worksites.
In my travels around the world, I have not witnessed transportation of workers in the back of lorries in developed countries.
The speed limit of 60kmh for lorries is a good safety measure. However, many lorry drivers do not comply with the rule.
Enforcement and public education are essential. We need to educate the public, especially the drivers, on the consequences of speeding - that it not only causes the loss of a life, but also threatens the livelihood of a victim's family who depends on him.
Dr So Bok-Yan
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I WELCOME the Government's initiative to give more protection to workers ferried on lorries.
It is a step forward. However, it may still not be enough. Lorries are for transporting goods, not people.
As a general surgeon in a public hospital, I have seen many cases of lorry passengers suffering serious injuries in traffic accidents.
We emphasise the use of safety devices such as seat belts and airbags in cars, and it is obvious that none of these features is available at the back of a lorry.
To ensure the safety of their workers, contractors can instead hire buses from private operators to ferry their workers to and from worksites.
In my travels around the world, I have not witnessed transportation of workers in the back of lorries in developed countries.
The speed limit of 60kmh for lorries is a good safety measure. However, many lorry drivers do not comply with the rule.
Enforcement and public education are essential. We need to educate the public, especially the drivers, on the consequences of speeding - that it not only causes the loss of a life, but also threatens the livelihood of a victim's family who depends on him.
Dr So Bok-Yan
