PHV driver suffers stroke after working up to 16 hours a day to support his family
A private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver in Singapore has died from a stroke at the relatively young age of 49.
Mr Gavin Neo Jin Kiat, a single father, leaves behind two teenage children who are still in school.
Source: Gavin Neo on Facebook
PHV driver dies after suffering a stroke 3 days before
News of Mr Neo’s death started circulating across social media and online chat groups for PHV drivers on Friday (30 May), with the message saying that he had passed away after suffering a stroke three days before.
He did not smoke or drink but drank up to three cans of Red Bull daily to stay awake, and was a Grab Diamond Tier driver who drove up to 16 hours a day, it added.
Source: Hoo Lee Kau via Complaint Singapore on Facebook
According to the obituary attached, Mr Neo died on Thursday (29 May) and was cremated on Saturday (31 May) after a two-day wake.
Source: Bryan Ang on Facebook
Deceased worked hard for children’s future
A friend named Bryan Ang paid tribute to Mr Neo on Facebook, describing him as a “humble and down-to-earth guy” who would share his experience with other drivers.
As the sole breadwinner, he drove more than half a day each day to support his children — a 17-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter.
Source: Gavin Neo on Facebook
He would start in the afternoon, driving till the wee hours of the next morning before sending his daughter to school in the morning.
To save money, he did not smoke, drink or spend lavishly, Mr Ang said. Though they met up for supper often, he would spend just S$3.80 on chicken rice and down a can of Red Bull before driving again.
When asked why he was so thrifty, he replied that it was for his kids and their future, his friend added.
Mr Ang appealed to netizens to help the family out by dropping by his wake to give his sister, Ai Chen, some pek kim or sending it via PayNow at 92288138.
Fellow PHV driver says he wasn’t covered by insurance
A fellow PHV driver named Kelvin Lam also wrote a long post about Mr Neo on Facebook.
He said other drivers had vouched for him as a hardworking, humble and nice guy who gives all his money to his children.
As he is not a member of the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA), he was not covered by the S$40,000 insurance policy provided by NTUC to members, Mr Lam added.
Thus, he appealed to netizens to donate to help tide his children over till adulthood.
He said fellow PHV drivers were already chipping in so he could “peacefully complete his last trip”.
Family still trying to recover from his death
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News at the wake, Mr Neo’s sister said her family found it hard to accept his sudden death.
They are still trying to recover from the blow, she added.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
She did not expect her brother’s death to draw such a big reaction and expressed gratitude for the concern shown by the public.
Mr Neo’s daughter is still overseas with her mother and had yet to return for the funeral, while his son declined to speak to the media.
PHV drivers empathised with his hard work
A 53-year-old PHV driver named only as Mr Zeng (transliterated from Mandarin), told Shin Min that many drivers felt sad when they heard of Mr Neo’s death because they could empathise with how hard he worked.
Diamond Tier is awarded to the top 10% of drivers on the platform who complete up to 2,000 trips every three months — an average of 22 trips a day, he said.
To maintain the status, drivers have to work more than 12 hours almost every day, which is very tiring, he added.
To get a bonus of up to S$900, drivers must complete a set number of trips and keep up this performance for three months consecutively.
However, the recent market downturn makes it more difficult to earn money than before, Mr Zeng lamented.
He hoped drivers would remember to take care of their health even when working hard, as there might be many more drivers like Mr Neo that they do not know about.
Also read: Netizen Impressed By PHV Driver Who Stays Positive Despite Kidney Failure & 15-Hour Work Days
Netizen Impressed By PHV Driver Who Stays Positive Despite Kidney Failure & 15-Hour Work Days
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Featured image adapted from Gavin Neo on Facebook and Bryan Ang on Facebook.
