SINGAPORE — A 72-year-old driver passed away in the hospital after his van skidded and came to a stop near Redhill MRT Station, leaving him pinned to his seat.
The accident occurred on Monday (27 Mar) along 920 Tiong Bahru Road and was reported to the police at 3.20 pm.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force officers present at the scene used hydraulic rescue equipment to extract the driver from his trapped position.
The victim was taken to the Singapore General Hospital, where he died while unconscious.
Police investigations are currently underway.
A TikTok clip shows a silver van with a shattered windshield that crashed onto a covered walkway, damaging the nearby railings:
@afy.suave2 What happened near Redhill MRT. Hope nobody got hurt.. #afysuave #mgakasuave #fypsg #viralsg #mothershipsg #fypage #fypシ゚viral
Deceased replaced 71-year-old who resigned due to health issues
According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, the deceased was hired to replace a 71-year-old driver named Luo, who recently resigned.
Mr Luo told the paper that he had been driving the school bus for eight months but had to resign due to health issues. He completed his work handover last Friday (24 Mar).
The school bus was then taken over by a new driver on Monday, but unfortunately, he got into an accident on his first day at work.
Mr Luo explained that the accident involved a 13-seater school bus that usually transports international school students. The students are usually dismissed at 4.00 pm, so it is believed that the deceased was on his way to the school when the accident happened.
Zaobao also reported that the deceased’s employer is the owner of a small school bus.
He mentioned that the deceased was a new employee who had just started working on the first day, but was unwilling to discuss further details.
Singapore’s statutory age limit for a vocational licence
In Singapore, The statutory age limit for a vocational licence to drive vehicles is 75 years old.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has commissioned a study by the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) to explore the possibility of increasing the statutory age limit for those holding a vocational driving license.
In October last year, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said in Parliament that the study found that older vocational drivers have a higher accident rate than younger drivers, with drivers aged 70 to 74 being five to six times more likely to have an accident than drivers under 60.
Based on these findings, SMA recommended not to increase the age limit beyond 75 years. LTA decided not to raise the maximum age limit for vocational license holders for now due to safety concerns.
However, older drivers aged 50 to 74 can continue to hold valid vocational licenses if they undergo regular checkups and meet necessary requirements.
Netizens lamented how the driver had to work at the age of 72
Netizens flooded the comment section of various news outlets to express their condolences for the deceased. Some lamented the fact that the driver had to work at the age of 72, despite being of retirement age and should have been allowed to retire with dignity.
A netizen pointed out that the government talks about CPF retirement, but many elderly citizens aged 70 and above are still unable to retire and have to keep working to survive:
A netizen also stated that the 72-year-old man should not be blamed for working as there is a need to work until death due to the government’s flawed system that only cares about making money.
Another comment found in Today’s Facebook post, suggests that the cut-off age for driving should be a maximum of 70 years old.
He shared his personal experience of witnessing an elderly driver struggling to park his car, even after multiple attempts.
When commenting on Lianhe Zaobao Facebook post, a netizen wrote:
“Our great government ministers, please do not say that this elderly person was just bored and wanted to pass time by becoming a driver. He is already 72 years old”
“At 72 years old, one should be able to retire and enjoy family life. Hopefully, there were no students in the vehicle.”
“The sorrow of Singapore! A septuagenarian has to work for a living!”
“Live until old, work until death. Old sir you have worked hard, thank you for your contribution, and gratitude to you.”
