Another e-bike rider dies in collision
Friend horrified to discover victim was fellow courier
He saw an e-biker being hit by a truck, then dragged along the street.
Mr Lek, 56, a courier, who was on Cecil Street, told The New Paper the shocking sight made him stop in his tracks.
But he was not prepared for what awaited him when he went forward to investigate after the truck had come to a stop several metres down the road.
He said: "I was shocked to see that the victim was my friend. From his badly injured body, I knew he didn't survive the accident. I can't believehe is gone."
Mr Lek said the man was a courier like him and was known as Lao Chek (old uncle in Hokkien) among fellow workers. He does not know the man's real name.
The duo often saw each other around Raffles Place when they delivered packages for their clients.
The police said they were notified about the accident between the tipper truck and the e-bike at around 10.30am yesterday.
Officers have arrested the 54-year-old driver for causing the death by performing a negligent act. Investigations are ongoing.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedics pronounced the 62-year-old dead at the scene.
Mr Lek told TNP that he has known Lao Chek for six years.
Heaving a sigh, he said: "Even though we were not from the same company, we always chatted whenever we met.
"He was a friendly guy. I last saw him in the area at 9.15am and he seemed fine. It is sad that he died about an hour later."
Mr Lek said his friend worked for Courier Circle Asia.
TNP called the company and a man confirmed that the victim was one of its employees.
However, he declined to comment about the incident.
Mr Lek said: "As couriers, we know that we have to ride carefully all the time. I am sad that Lao Chek is no longer with us. I will definitely miss him."
When TNP arrived at the scene at 12.45pm, a large crowd had gathered on both sides of the road.
Many office workers were seen craning their necks to get a better view of the aftermath of the accident.
Police officers were observed conducting their investigations within a cordoned-off area, and they set up a blue tent over the body.
The crash on the extreme left side of Cecil Street near Republic Plaza caused a traffic jam.
An unidentified bespectacled man arrived at the scene at around 1pm and he broke down when officers showed him the body.
He left the scene in a green car 20 minutes later after the body was taken away in a black van.
An onlooker, who wanted to be known only as Miss Lee, 32, said she often sees e-bikes on the road in the area and fears for their safety.
She said: "Cecil Street is a busy road, I feel sorry for the victim in this tragedy. I read the news and many e-bikers have already lost their lives on the road.
"I hope the authorities will do something to help both e-bikers and other motorists."
Another onlooker, Mr Muhammad, shared the same sentiment.
He said: "I think e-bikers need to be trained first before they are allowed on the road. There have already been several accidents involving them recently."
I read the news and many e-bikers have already lost their lives on the road. I hope the authorities will do something to help both e-bikers and other motorists.
- Mrs Lee
Include e-bike awareness in Highway Code?
Motorists need to learn how to co-share the road with other users like e-bike riders.
Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport Ang Hin Kee suggested that the Highway Code test should include training on how motorists can share the road with personal mobility device (PMD) users and cyclists.
He also said that apart from enforcement, we need to make sure that PMDs are equipped with features such as better lighting to improve visibility.
Mr Denis Koh, a member of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Active Mobility Advisory Panel, stressed that e-bikers should not cause inconvenience to other motorists.
He also said they must follow traffic rules and signal their intent early when making turns.
He told TNP that because e-bikers may be slower moving, other motorists must watch out for them and give them ample space to manoeuvre.
BLIND SPOTS
Singapore Road Safety Council chairman Bernard Tay pointed out that there are many blind spots for heavy vehicles, so there must always be a safe distance between an e-biker and them, and for that matter, cars as well.
He added: "The e-bikers are vulnerable, therefore observing their own safety is important.
"Also, these bikers should always remember to wear proper gear to protect themselves."
LTA regulations introduced last December state that every e-biker must ride as close as possible to the left side of the road.
E-bikes must also be no heavier than 20kg and have a maximum speed of 25kmh. Riding without a helmet on roads and against the flow of traffic are disallowed.
Fines for first-time offenders were raised from $100 to $300.If passed, the Active Mobility Bill, introduced in Parliament by Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Nov 9, will bring about harsher penalties for sellers of non-compliant e-bikes, such as those which can go faster than 25kmh.
Previous cases
Oct 27
Three young men were riding their e-bicycles near the junction of Pandan Crescent along West Coast Highway shortly before midnight when a trailer hit them from behind.
Mr Ang Yee Fong, 25, died at the scene. Mr Ong Zi Quan, 18, was taken to National University Hospital (NUH) with serious injuries. He later died in hospital.
The sole survivor, Marcus Loke, 17, was taken to NUH with leg injuries.
The 34-year-old trailer driver was arrested for causing death by negligence.
June 29
A 66-year-old stall helper lost the lower half of his right leg after an accident while riding an e-bike.
Mr Hassan Jalal was hit by a car while trying to change lanes as he approached Bendemeer Primary School to pick up his step-grandsons at around 3pm.
Feb 27
Two boys, aged 16 and 18, were flung onto the bonnet of a car at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 and Avenue 8 after their e-bike crashed into a car.
The teenagers were speeding and had beaten a red light when the accident happened.
They were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for treatment and were later discharged.
Dec 24, 2015
Odd job labourer Ang Thiam Beng was hit on Christmas Eve while on his way to his father's home.
Mr Ang, 55, was riding an e-bike along Pioneer Road North and was making a right turn into Jurong West Avenue 4 when a lorry hit him at around 2.15pm. He died in hospital two days later.
Dec 2, 2015
An 11-year-old boy on an e-bike crashed into Madam Nancy Tay, 64, and her sister, Lucy, 71, on a pavement in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4.
Madam Lucy Tay had a hairline fracture in her right shin, while her sister had cuts and bruises.
The boy had been speeding. The police classified it as a rash act causing grievous hurt.
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