SINGAPORE — An 18-year-old man died after his motorcycle collided with an unknown vehicle in Loyang on the morning of Sept 27. The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the hit-and-run accident at about 9.20am. It occurred at the junction of Loyang Avenue and Cranwell Road, said SCDF. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic. A photo showing a blue tent in the aftermath of the accident was shared on Telegram group SGRoad Blocks/Traffic News. A motorcycle bearing a probation P-plate was seen lying on its side near the blue tent. Police investigations are ongoing. Traffic accidents claimed the lives of 136 people in 2023, a 25.9 per cent jump from the 108 deaths in 2022. Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable groups of road users. In 2023, motorcyclists or pillion riders were involved in more than half of all traffic accidents, and accounted for half of the deaths due to traffic accidents.

Grab's co-founder and CEO, Anthony Tan, went undercover as a private-hire driver and shared his experience in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday (Sept 25). By going on the ground, he aims to test the Grab driver app, get direct feedback from passengers and find areas of improvement that are potentially missed by teams not involved with ground operations. Tan assumed his role as driver on a Sunday afternoon and drove a GrabRentals Hyundai Kona EV. Throughout the vlog, the 41-year-old was candid about the user experience of Grab's driver app. He complimented the ease and accuracy of GrabMaps' lane detection features, but raised an issue with its automated safety messages. While they serve as good reminders, he noted how these messages would block his view of the map. Between «back-to-back» rides, Tan also shared feedback from his passengers. One customer told him her personal grievances regarding cancelled rides whenever drivers were too far away from her location.  In comparison, she commended Grab's exclusive Premium feature for being fast and reliable whenever she was in a rush to get to her destination.

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) announced on Sept 27 that foreign-registered vehicles which have yet to install Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) tags by the Oct 1 deadline will still be allowed to enter Malaysia from Singapore. The announcement comes amid complaints in Singapore of delays and snags in the application process, and just three days ahead of the VEP requirement being implemented. “From Oct 1, 2024, the VEP enforcement will be implemented in phases. All Singapore-registered vehicles without a VEP may still enter Malaysia as usual,” JPJ director-general Aedy Fadly Ramli said in a statement on Sept 27. However, vehicle-owners may receive reminders from JPJ officers stationed in the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Johor Bahru and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex CIQ at the Second Link to immediately register, install and activate their VEP and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. “Please be reminded that warning notices will be issued to owners of Singapore-registered private vehicles without VEPs before they leave Malaysia,” Datuk Aedy said.

SHOALWATER BAY, Australia - Just a few seconds was all it took for Staff Sergeant Rachel Rodrigues to fire 150 rounds from a machine gun in an H225M helicopter on Wednesday (Sept 25). The 27-year-old, who is the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) first female aircrew specialist, was still riding the adrenaline after landing over an hour later at a camp in Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia. «The feeling I get from the vibrations when operating the gun and seeing the rounds hit the target... it gives me a lot of chills,» said Rodrigues to reporters after a weapon’s demonstration from the helicopter's door while in the air.  «I've never experienced using a machine gun before, so I'm glad that I was given this opportunity.»

Restoring full train service on the East-West Line (EWL) is a challenging task due to the extensive damage to the MRT tracks and equipment, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat on Thursday (Sept 26) night. Chee was visiting the Ulu Pandan Depot, where he met some of the 300 engineers and technicians from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT who «have been working day and night» since a faulty train caused service disruption on Wednesday morning. «As the damage is very extensive, they have to do this carefully and it requires a lot of time,» he told the media. A bogie — an undercarriage with wheels — of a defective train had derailed on the track between Dover and Clementi stations, causing 34 rail breaks along a 1.6-kilometer stretch of track, said LTA and SMRT on Thursday evening.

SINGAPORE — A man insisted on following a woman home in a private-hire car after they had drinks and violated her when she fell asleep. During the journey, Muhammad Syafiq Danial Abdullah unzipped his trousers and forced himself on her. When the 37-year-old woman woke up a while later, she found herself lying face down on the man's lap. On Sept 26, Syafiq, who is now 26 years old, was sentenced to six years and eight months' jail and six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to a charge of rape. The definition of rape in the Penal Code was expanded in 2020 to include oral and anal penetration without consent. Another charge, for molesting the woman in the car, was taken into consideration in sentencing. Syafiq, who worked as a commercial diver at the time, met the victim for the first time on the evening of Sept 24, 2022, at a band performance. They had separately gone to a restaurant in Upper Circular Road to support their friends, who were members of the same band. After the performance, the woman met Syafiq when she joined her friend at his table.

A man went online to rant about his «super horrible» dining experience, but the restaurant involved has since shared with Stomp that there is more to the story. Stomp contributor Sean visited Han Jia Bak Kut Teh's Hougang RiverCourt outlet for lunch on Sept 9 and later recounted his experience in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group. He said: «We had been to this place before. Previously their food was nice and tasty and with good service. Today my experience at this place was super horrible.» Sean took issue with the «bad service» from a staff member, who had apparently keyed in an incomplete order and caused «confusion». He was also surprised that the appearance of his food was «so dark», adding: «I told my son maybe it's just the appearance and it may taste nice after all. We continued to have our lunch and the food was really really terrible. Due to the excess dark sauce put in their sauce, the food tasted bitter.» According to Sean, an employee ignored him when he raised the issue, while another responded, «Then what you want me to do?»

SINGAPORE – The first flats from the Bidadari housing estate have hit the resale market and analysts say the initial transactions show there is strong demand for flats in the area, especially from young couples looking to buy their first homes. According to Housing Board data, four transactions have been lodged for flats in Bidadari Park Drive. Three were four-room flats that transacted for between $937,500 and $1.17 million. The remaining transaction was a 113 sq m five-room unit that was sold for $1.2 million. Some analysts say the prices could serve as benchmarks for other transactions in the area, while others cautioned against thinking that “million-dollar” transactions would be the norm for flats there. The deals were among the first resale transactions from the new estate, where flats in Alkaff Vista – which comprises 199 four-room and 151 five-room flats – recently fulfilled their five-year minimum occupation period (MOP). Build-To-Order (BTO) flats in Bidadari were significantly oversubscribed when launched in November 2015, with as many as 20 applicants vying for a five-room unit.

Plans to partially restore train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations on Friday (Sept 27) have been dropped, to prioritise repairs for the full restoration of the East-West Line. This was announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT in a late-night media statement on Sept 26. A return to full service is now targeted for Monday (Sept 30). Earlier in the day, LTA and SMRT had said that they were exploring a single-line shuttle train service running every 20 minutes between Jurong East and Buona Vista. In the statement, they said that they have since determined that while it could be done if they expedited repairs on one of the tracks, it would mean slowing down the repairs on the other damaged rail, as repairs cannot be done when the shuttle-train service is in operation.

On the second day of train service disruption along the East-West Line, several commuters at Jurong East MRT station were seen trying to find the way to their destinations.  Those entering the MRT station on Thursday (Sept 26) evening scrutinised the various signages put up around the platform, before asking SMRT staff for directions.  One of them was 22-year-old nursing student Joyce Ji, who was travelling to her gym at Marina One.  After approaching an SMRT staff member for help, the young woman stood at the MRT platform as she tried to decide if she wanted to continue heading to the gym.  SMRT staff guiding commuters at Jurong East MRT station. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Claudia Tan "I found out about the disruption yesterday, and I wasn't sure where to go at first. Now I'm contemplating if I should take the train or Grab. 

On the second day of train service disruption along the East-West Line, several commuters at Jurong East MRT station were seen trying to find the way to their destinations.  Those entering the MRT station on Thursday (Sept 26) evening scrutinised the various signages put up around the platform, before asking SMRT staff for directions.  One of them was 22-year-old nursing student Joyce Ji, who was travelling to her gym at Marina One.  After approaching an SMRT staff member for help, the young woman stood at the MRT platform as she tried to decide if she wanted to continue heading to the gym.  SMRT staff guiding commuters at Jurong East MRT station. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Claudia Tan "I found out about the disruption yesterday, and I wasn't sure where to go at first. Now I'm contemplating if I should take the train or Grab. 

On the second day of the East-West Line train disruption, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and transport operator SMRT said that they are aiming for the partial restoration of train services by Friday (Sept 27). In a statement on Thursday (Sept 26) evening, they said: «We are still unable to resume train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations in both directions today.» They are aiming for a partial restoration of train services on Friday, with a single line shuttle service running every 20 minutes between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations. «Restoring train services safely and promptly is our top priority, and we will continue to provide updates as the situation progresses,» they added. Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also gave an update on the situation on Thursday evening. «The engineers from SMRT and LTA have been working throughout the night to assess and to carry out repairs to the damaged tracks and equipment,» he said.

SINGAPORE — Five pupils who sat the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) were late because of the MRT disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) on Thursday (Sept 26), said the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). In response to queries, SEAB said that about 41,000 school candidates sat the PSLE English and Foundation English written papers, with five of them affected by the train disruption on Thursday morning. They arrived before the end of the paper and were given time to settle down and get the full duration of the paper. «Of the five candidates, one sat for the examination in a different examination centre,» SEAB said. Candidates have been advised to contact their schools if they are affected by the train disruption, and the board added that it will work with schools to support pupils.

Amid the rush to secure Malaysia's Vehicle Entry Permits (VEP) before the Oct 1 deadline, some Singapore drivers have fallen prey to scams that offer help with VEP applications.  Several drivers said they've received fake RFID tags after engaging these services, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday (Sept 25). Wang, an employee of Zhou Xiaobao Singapore-Malaysia Towing Services, which helps Singaporean drivers apply for VEP, told Shin Min that the company has received at least three complaints of fake RFID tags over the past three weeks.  His company charges around $200 for VEP application, while the fraudsters are offering the same service for $130.  «When car owners submitted their information [to the scammers], they were given RFID tags. »But when the car owners took the RFID tags to the installation centre, they were told the tags were fake," he said.  Wang explained that his company charges more for services as some car owners also consult them on specific problems regarding the RFID tags, which they will try to resolve. 

Have you ever paid more than an additional $1 for takeaway at a foodcourt? A customer was surprised to be charged a «whopping» $1.20 takeaway fee in addition to the $6 chicken wings he bought at a Woodlands foodcourt on on Sept 21. The wings were $1.50 each from the western food stall in the Cantine Corner by Kopitiam foodcourt at Admiralty Place. The takeaway fee cost almost as much as a wing. Stomp contributor PKJ shared a photo of the receipt, which showed a total of $7.20 for four wings, inclusive of the takeaway fee. «In this day and age, it is normal to be charged extra for takeaway food,» said the Stomp contributor. «The reason we would think is to pay for the cost of plastic takeaway packaging. You can imagine our surprise to be charged $1.20 for a plastic bag and a wax paper bag for four pieces of fried chicken. »Fifty cents is still acceptable, but a whopping $1.20 is practically daylight robbery. «Tell me am I wrong to think like this?»

As train service disruptions on the East-West Line (EWL) stretch into the second day, some taxis offered free rides to affected students sitting for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) on Thursday (Sept 26). Five Strides Premier taxis were spotted waiting near Jurong East MRT station at about 7am to ferry PSLE takers to nearby examination centres, reported 8world. SMRT staff at the taxi stand that morning also shouted «are there any students here?» to alert them to the free rides. Announcements urging students to head to the taxi stand were also played at the MRT station, according to Lianhe Zaobao. Students waiting for the free buses and bridging buses were also brought to the front of queues by SMRT staff. Strides Premier taxi driver Wen Jinchang (transliteration), who was stationed at Clementi MRT station, said drivers had earlier received a message from the cab operator which asked those interested in ferrying PSLE students to wait at the affected MRT stations at 6.15am.

SINGAPORE — Pupils sitting the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) written papers, starting on Sept 26, will be given the full duration of the paper if they reach the examination centre before the end of the paper. Responding to media queries on Sept 25, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said: «There are existing arrangements which students have been briefed [on].» The board added that candidates would not be penalised for being late for the examination due to train service disruptions. This comes after an hours-long disruption to train services on the East-West Line (EWL) on Sept 25, affecting the stretch of stations between Boon Lay and Queenstown. Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on the same day that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT «will assess and confirm during engineering hours tonight» whether normal train service can resume on Sept 26.

SINGAPORE – Five teenagers have been arrested over a bullying incident involving two boys who were filmed hitting a Qihua Primary School pupil. The police said on Sept 25 that the teenagers involved in the incident have been identified and five of them were arrested for their suspected involvement in a case of rioting. They said: “The police take a serious view of such acts of violence and blatant disregard of the law. “We will not hesitate to take action and deal with the offenders in accordance with the law.” Police investigations are ongoing. A snippet of a four-minute video of the incident emerged online on Sept 20. It shows a boy wearing a black T-shirt punching a smaller boy wearing a Qihua Primary School uniform. In the background, another person can be heard saying “again, again” in Malay. The pupil gets up after sinking to the ground, and receives more blows from the larger boy, who also kicks him in the abdomen.

SINGAPORE - Train service is still not available between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations as at 5am on Sept 26, following a traction power fault that took place a day earlier. In an update at about 4.40am, transport operator SMRT said on X that shuttle train services and free regular bus services are available between Boon Lay and Jurong East MRT stations. Bridging bus services are also available between Jurong East and Buona Vista. It advised commuters wanting to continue their journeys to follow instructions from station staff. One commuter who wanted to be known only as Ms Wong told ST that she was headed to Jurong East MRT station where a company bus would pick her up at 6.55am. The previous day, she said that she boarded a feeder bus which took her 1hr 10min from Jurong East to Queenstown. “I normally leave the house at 6.25am but I left the house one hour earlier today,” the 56-year-old, who works at a data centre, said. “I was concerned… there are no instructions. I’m not sure what time the train is leaving.