COVID-19 vaccination begins for land transport sector with jabs to be offered to 80,000 workers
Yeong Cha Seng, 40, senior bus captain from SBS receives his COVID-19 vaccination. (Photo: Calvin Oh)
SINGAPORE: Singapore's land transport workers began receiving COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday (Jan 25), with employees of bus and train operators among those first in line, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a news release.
The first batch of 12,000 workers will receive the jabs at Changi Airport Terminal 4 and the former Hong Kah Secondary School campus. Vaccinations will be offered progressively to about 80,000 land transport workers in the coming months.
“This is part of Singapore’s national vaccination strategy to protect our workers, and strengthen the resilience of our essential transport services,” LTA said.
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Active taxi and private-hire car drivers will also be vaccinated, and the jabs have already been offered to drivers who are currently involved in supporting stay-home notice ground operations, LTA said.
LTA chief executive Ng Lang acknowledged the work of land transport workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and encouraged them to get vaccinated.
“Our land transport workers have been working tirelessly since the onset of COVID-19 to keep our essential transport services running. Vaccination will help keep our workers and their families safe and strengthen the resilience of these services,” he said.
Speaking to reporters as vaccinations got under way at the former Hong Kah Secondary school campus, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Foreign Affairs Chee Hong Tat said existing safety measures would remain in place, even after workers receive their jabs.
"Vaccination doesn't mean that we take away all the other safety measures. All the other safety measures that are already in place - including the wearing of masks, keeping personal hygiene - all that will still be in place," he said.
"So this vaccine should be seen as an added protection, for our frontline workers and for our transport workers.
"So from that perspective, we will encourage as many of them to step forward to get the vaccination for that added protection."
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