3 bikes, 6 riders: Teens ferry friends in HelloRide bikes' front baskets, sparking debate over safety

Six friends, but only three bikes. What's the solution?

While some might have chosen to find alternative transportation, these teenagers opted for a different approach, seating their friends in the front baskets of shared bicycles, according to a photograph uploaded to the Roads.sg Facebook page on Friday (Oct 9).

In the post, six girls can be seen stopped at a traffic light, with three of them riding blue bicycles.

The other three, however, aren't technically riding the bicycles. Instead, each is seated in the front basket of a friend's bike, either listening to music or scrolling on her phone.

The three passengers also appear to be carrying their belongings on their laps. Two are holding bags, while the girl on the left appears to be clutching a purse.

While the post itself did not offer much context on the photograph, netizens were split on whether to condemn the girls for unsafe behaviour or praise their resourcefulness.

"This is the 'kampung spirit', where the elder sister had to ferry her younger sister to school in a bike basket," a user commented.

Another said: "This is a teenager's adventure. Let them be."

Concurring, a user also said: "Let the kids be kids, [when we were] young, [we also did] stupid things."

Some also praised the girls' resourcefulness, noting that they had rented only three bikes but were able to transport all six of them around.

"Smart move," the user simply stated.

Conversely, some users also pointed out the dangers of what the girls were doing.

"They have to pay medical bills and compensate bike company for damaged basket and loss of revenue [if they fall and injure themselves]. Some people only learn the hard way.

"Someone said 'kampung spirit'," the user continued. "Do it on your own bike."

Said another: "Youngsters... when accidents happen, then they will realise the dangers of riding like that."

Some users also raised concerns about possible damage to the bicycles, questioning who should foot the bill for any repairs.

A few users suggested that the bike-sharing company could consider introducing double-seat bicycles for rent.

AsiaOne has contacted HelloRide for comment.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com