Viral video shows couple pushing shared-bike into drain, police report filed by bicycle-sharing company

A couple were seen throwing two bicycles into a drain and then walked away as if nothing has happened.

In a 13-second video posted by Ms Yeoh Pei Ching, the couple were seen wearing a workout attire. The woman pushed the oBike first from the pavement into the drain then followed by the man.

It was believed that the incident took place along Lower Delta Road between 4 to 5 pm on Sunday (19 November).

Ms Yeoh wrote in Chinese, “The bikes were probably not parked properly, but do you really have to do that?”

The video went viral and as much as 16,000 people have shared it on their social media.

oBike’s co-founder and chief marketing officer Edward Chen told the Straits Times that his company was aware of the video circulating online, adding that they can verify that the bicycles belong to oBike.

He said, “It is evident that the perpetrators have damaged our bikes maliciously and we strongly condemn their behaviour. Our operations teams are working closely with the police to identify those responsible.”

Mr Chen stated that he has lodged a police report on the matter, which added to the four previous reports which has been filed since its launch in April 2017.

He then noted that there was a 2 per cent decrease in the number of indiscriminately parked oBikes from September to October, saying that this is possible due to several factors including “better awareness through constant education and our launch of  the geofencing feature”.

oBike also launched a cashback incentive campaign to reward those who move indiscriminately parked bikes, or bikes that are parked at obscure places, in line with the company aim which was created “with the mission to provide a convenient, environmentally friendly mode of transportation in Singapore”.

If these bicycles are not removed within half-a-day, LTA will impound them, levy a fee on the bicycle-sharing operators for the resources used for the impounding and fine the companies.

About 200 bicycles have been impounded, of which half have been collected by the operators.

Members of Parliament have over the past year, repeatedly voiced concerns over rental bikes being parked indiscriminately and have called for service providers to be penalised.

This eventually led to Land Transport Authority to state that indiscriminately-parked shared bicycles which are served with notice and not removed within half-a-day, will be impounded by LTA and a fee on will be levied on the bicycle-sharing operators. Some companies have moved to introduce geofencing feature to their bicycles and penalise those who do not park within the parking zones.