PETALING JAYA, Sept 11 — Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) enforcement officers have seized more than 250 bicycles belonging to the bicycle-sharing platform company oBike (M) Sdn Bhd found on sidewalks and streets citywide.
According to The Star Online, the bikes were seized for causing obstruction.
“Another reason why the bikes were seized is because this is an unlicensed business as we did not receive any application from oBike,” Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain told The Star Online.
Mohd Azizi expressed worry that the bicycles would be a nuisance to other road users and pedestrians, adding the bike-sharing service was an illegal operation in Petaling Jaya and he hopes that oBike would come forward and apply to operate its bicycle sharing platform service.
“We are in support of this idea as it is another mode of public transportation and will benefit pedestrians in the city, but it has to be properly regulated.
“Imagine if we do not monitor or regulate it and another bicycle sharing operator decides to start its business here as well, then things will get out of hand,” he was quoted saying.
Mohd Azizi said that there were no proper regulations written specifically for bicycle sharing operations in Petaling Jaya but MBPJ was looking at drafting it.
When contacted, oBike’s marketing manager Elaine Chan told the local news portal that the company was aware its bicycles were being seized and was working with MBPJ to solve the issue.
“We are already in talks with them on how we can work together and I believe this is just a misunderstanding,” she was quoted saying.
oBike which aims to change short-distance transportation through the use of technology, provides connectivity between public transport hubs.
Currently, oBike bikes are located at a few places, mainly Sunway City, Damansara, Damansara Perdana, Kota Damansara, Mutiara Damansara, Jaya One, Cyberjaya and also in Petaling Jaya areas.
