Singapore — A 42-year-old food delivery rider was killed in a collision involving his motorcycle and a truck along Gambas Avenue towards Woodlands Avenue 8 late on Friday morning (Dec 20).
The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to an alert concerning the accident shortly before noon on Friday.
According to the SCDF, paramedics pronounced the GrabFood delivery rider dead at the scene. The police are investigating the accident.
TODAY quotes a GrabFood representative as saying: “We are deeply saddened to learn about the accident and are reaching out to the family to offer our support and assistance. As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to provide further comments.”
Pictures of the accident were circulated on social media on Friday afternoon. They showed a motorcycle with a GrabFood delivery bag on its side, near a police tent, at the back of an 800 Super truck belonging to a waste management company.
The Straits Times (ST) quotes an 800 Super spokesperson as saying: “We are aware of the accident and would not be making any comment as the case is currently under investigation.”
On the Facebook page The Local Society, netizens expressed sympathy for the family of the delivery rider and asked that people exercise road safety as much as possible.
Others appealed for help for the family of the rider killed in the accident.
Food delivery riders from Grab, FoodPanda and other companies have been in the news in the past weeks because of the announcement in Parliament early last month that e-scooters would be banned from public footpaths.
Many food delivery riders are concerned that this would decrease their incomes since it would add to their delivery time.
Other Singaporeans have for this reason also expressed concern for the riders.
On Nov 6, TISG reported that a netizen claiming to be a GrabFood delivery rider named M Siva lamented that he would be facing a severe loss of income due to the PMD ban. He shared his story on the SG Confessions Facebook page and his post quickly went viral, with over 3,000 reactions, nearly 6,000 shares and 1,500 comments.
Mr Siva wrote that he was an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduate who previously worked in an office and earned S$2,200 a month.
Last year, he decided to become a GrabFood delivery rider and went on to earn $3,500 each month by making food deliveries with his PMD.
Since he started earning higher pay with GrabFood, Mr Siva apparently thought it was a good time to start a family with his wife, who had a monthly salary of S$2,000. The couple had a baby and bought a S$250,000 Built-to-Order (BTO) flat in Choa Chu Kang.
Claiming that the sudden income drop in income due to the PMD ban would negatively impact his family’s financial situation since their expenses had gone up with a new baby, Mr Siva lamented:
“With my $3,500 salary, I thought it was good time to start family, I can provide for my baby. Combine with my wife $2000 salary, we buy $250,000 BTO in CCK.
“Now my income suddenly become zero, if I go back old job, it drop by $1,300 every month, I have baby that need diaper, need milk powder, need infant care, now my expense is more than my income.
“Tell me what I should do now? With one speech now my income drop so much, if I am irresponsible rider, u penalty me I nothing to say. I am safe delivery rider but I pay price for those YP black sheep.
“How I face my wife now, how I tell my children I cannot bring them go out enjoy some family excursion? Sad to be a loyal Singaporean. I want to be loyal but there is no care for me.” -/TISG
“How can I face my wife now?” – GrabFood delivery rider’s plight in the wake of PMD ban goes viral