IT IS becoming a common sight - pizza and other fast food delivered on the backs of Malaysian-registered motorcycles. It may be yet another sign perhaps that companies are unable to find enough local applicants to fill vacancies.
Motor insurers, however, are finding the development unpalatable. Motorists involved in accidents with these foreign bikes can run into complications claiming against their insurers, they said.
General Insurance Association (GIA) president Derek Teo said it was unclear what their Malaysian motor insurance policies would cover.
'I hate to imagine the consequences in the event there is an accident, or worse, one that involves injuries,' he said.
In a legal case last May, the Singapore High Court ruled that insurers of Malaysian vehicles involved in accidents in Singapore cannot be forced to pay up.
There are also doubts over whether these Malaysian bikes meet other regulatory requirements. The Land Transport Authority, for instance, says Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents are not allowed to drive or ride Malaysian vehicles in Singapore.
At least one food company said it had stopped using Malaysian bikes, after The Straits Times approached it for comments for this article. Domino's Pizza said on May 4 it had ceased the practice 'to avoid confusion or complications'.
KFC, too, said the company does not allow Malaysian bikes to be used here, and would take the matter up with its delivery service vendor.
McDonald's has about 70 Malaysian motorbikes, or about 5 per cent, out of a delivery fleet of 1,400, said its spokesman, Ms Linda Ming. Those bikes are ridden by Malaysians paid the same wage as Singaporean staff.
Ms Ming said all McDonald's riders and their motorcycles are insured for business purposes. She declined to say how many had been involved in accidents.
Industry estimates put the number of delivery motorbikes here at more than 2,000 and growing.
Mr Teo of the GIA suggests imposing a levy on Malaysian vehicles entering Singapore which could go towards a fund for purchasing pooled insurance covering injury claims.
Observers said implementing such a levy on Malaysian vehicles may be politically sensitive, and could prompt a similar move by the Malaysian authorities on Singapore vehicles.