PETALING JAYA: PDRM have called on the public to contact them should they see boys cycling late at night.
Despite numerous operations by the police against the use of modified bicycles for joyrides, the dangerous trend has persisted.
Today, the trend took a turn for the worse when eight schoolboys died after a car rammed into them and their friends in Johor Bahru at 3am this morning.
At a press conference Johor Bahru Selatan police chief, ACP Sulaiman Salleh said the eight who died were among 16 accident victims who were using modified bicycles.
Sulaiman said the use of the modified bicycles – in which the brakes are often removed and smaller wheels used – was illegal.
“Such bicycles are used for joyrides in the wee hours of the morning because cyclists think there are no cars around at that time.”
Sulaiman said the police were constantly taking action against those using such bicycles and carried out 28 operations last year in which 37 modified bicycles were confiscated.
“From Jan 2017 to now, we have carried out five operations and confiscated 17 modified bicycles.”
He urged parents, especially those with children aged 10 to 18 to watch over them and make sure they did not go out late at night.