Due to the pandemic, factory supervisor Wong Siew Yuen had not been able to see her husband and son, who live in Seremban, Malaysia.

Bored and wanting to get some exercise, the 49-year-old bought a bicycle last week and went cycling with a friend at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on Monday night.

However, tragedy struck after Ms Wong, a novice cyclist, fell off her bicycle. An oncoming shuttle bus could not avoid her and hit her.

She was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic.

"She seldom rides a bicycle in Malaysia and she rarely rides a bicycle on the road, so I have always disapproved of her buying a bicycle," said her husband, Mr Ye Zicheng, in an interview with Shin Min Daily News yesterday.

"I should have insisted at that time... (then) the accident would not have happened".

Mr Ye, 58, is currently in Malaysia with their 19-year-old son. He is hoping to be allowed to attend his wife's funeral.

An NTU spokesman told The Straits Times that the university's campus security was alerted to the accident at 8.45pm.

"The cyclist was a member of the public visiting the university," said the spokesman, who extended NTU's condolences to Ms Wong's family. He added that the university and its bus service provider, Tong Tar Transport, are assisting the police in their investigations.

Shin Min reported that a male friend who rode with Ms Wong told reporters at the scene that he was riding in front of her.

He said that they were going to use the zebra crossing to get to the opposite side of the road when Ms Wong fell. The bus could not avoid her, he added.

An NTU student was on her way home from class at about 9.45pm when she and her classmate drove past the scene.

"As we drove closer, we saw someone who looked like a police officer trying to direct traffic and subsequently, a blue tent," the 25-year-old, who wanted to be known only as Ms Lee, told ST.

Safe Cycling Task Force president Steven Lim said that having cycled in NTU previously, he knows the terrain can be challenging for some riders.

He reminded cyclists to know the traffic rules and plan their route properly before riding.

"It's not just new cyclists who might struggle - even avid cyclists might find it challenging. The hilly terrain is difficult for a lot of people, and it depends on how strong you are," he said.

"You have to know your own cycling ability and what you're in for."