Ubin

Bike crashes or bike accidents are common in Pulau Ubin

For emergencies dial 999. This may not work. Simply because our telcos do not cover Ubin fully and and you get roaming coverage from Malaysian telcos instead.

You then get a ‘free’ spam sms message from Starhub.

Update: Jan 2012, Starhub has apparently cleaned up their act, their signals stayed locked throughout the whole day while we were trekking. My friend is able to browse and surf faster than in mainland Singapore.

For serious injuries which need professional response, here are the emergency numbers provided by NPark to call.

If it is minor scratches or abrasions, you may call van operators – Mr. Moh at +65-9731-7629/ +659084-8827 or Tien Song at +65-93468017 to drive you back to the jetty. Speak to them in Mandarin or slowly in English.

Here are the phone numbers in QR Code.

The nearest hospital is Changi General Hospital which is 10km or 15 minutes away by taxi (Googlemaps directions)

The van operators may decline to assist if the injuries are potentially serious which may involve police investigations. Our police play a important role in building confidence in order for public to come forward and help accident victims, potentially saving lives when immediate help are given.

Red Cross or St. John volunteers should set up first aid posts on Pulau Ubin.

Its probably best to bring a whistle and avoid exploring remote areas alone by yourself.

For other forms of ‘emergencies’, familiarize yourselves with the location of NParks public toilets and bring an emergency toilet roll. Once I had to dive into the quarry lake to do my business. My scout master warned not to use leaves instead of toilet papers as we might get allergic rash.