A taxi driver who negligently caused the death of a motorcyclist at a road junction last September was fined $6,000 and banned from driving for three years on Tuesday.

Mansor Montail, 55, who no longer drives a cab, admitted that he failed to keep a proper lookout and did not give way to oncoming traffic when making a right turn into Hougang on Sep 23 last year. This resulted in a collision with rider Chua Joon Yuan, 34, who died about an hour later in hospital.

The court heard that Mansor was driving along Airport Road when he stopped at the red traffic light, intending to make a right turn into Hougang Avenue 3.

When the traffic light turned green, he moved off. The first few vehicles in front of him moved forward and stopped at the turning bracket to give way to oncoming traffic in the opposite direction. As Mansor reached the turning bracket, he did not keep a proper lookout and stop to give way to oncoming traffic.

As he was completing the right turn, Mr Chua's motorcycle hit the front left portion of the taxi. Mr Chua fell off the machine and landed on the road, near to the front left tyre of the taxi. Mansor got down to help the victim, who was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital.

District Judge Marvin Bay told Mansor he was extremely foolish to make a turn at speed which led to a "very catastrophic'' damage to the motorcycle and his carelessness had truly horrific consequences. The maximum penalty for causing death by doing a negligent act is two years' jail and a fine.