SINGAPORE: Public transport operator SMRT is cooperating with police investigations after an elderly passenger sustained injuries following a fall on one of its buses.
The incident occurred last Friday (Jan 17) at around 7.20pm when Mr Othman Ahmad, 65, was travelling home on bus service 187 near Bukit Batok Central.
Mr Othman said the bus “suddenly drove so fast” before braking abruptly, causing him to lose his balance. “I tried to grab a pole, but then didn’t manage to and went down, and everything went blank for a while,” said Mr Othman, who works in the logistics sector.
“I heard someone say to get a tissue, and I also heard some of (the passengers) ask the bus driver to stop … My blood was all over the bus,” he recalled.
He said that the bus eventually came to a stop and the ambulance arrived a short while later.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed it received a call for assistance. Paramedics took Mr Othman to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where his head injury – located above his right eye – was stitched up.
Mr Othman said he was discharged from the hospital several hours later with a medical bill of S$154 (US$114). However, he continued experiencing symptoms such as head pain and blurry vision in his right eye in the days following the incident.
Despite his injuries, he returned to work on Monday without informing his employer. “It’s a contract job … once I talk to them (about the accident), maybe they will stop (hiring me for) the job, so I don’t dare,” he explained.
Mr Othman also lodged a police report the day after the accident, which the police confirmed they have received.
He tried to contact SMRT for compensation for his injury using its customer hotline, but could not get through to a staff member.
