KULAI: The mosquito bike craze continues to become a daunting problem in Johor with yet more children and teenage cyclists brought to the Kulai police station on Friday.
A total of 54 boys, aged between five and 19, three of them primary school pupils, were picked up by police just as they were about to start a mosquito bike race at the Dataran Cahaya Kulai public square near Persiaran Majlis about 5pm.
Police said a 19-year old student of a private college was among the group who were caught red-handed with illegally modified bicycles when they were about to participate in the illegal race.
The bike gathering drew around 70 cyclist who came from various locations and neighbourhoods around Kulai.
Johor Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department chief Superintendant Dzulkhairi Mokhtar said the parents were called in when their children were rounded up.
"A total of 54 traffic summonses were served to the parents of the youths who were called to collect their children at the station.
"We also had a talk with the parents and the youths involved and reminded them of the dangers of riding these unsafe bicycles," he said.
A total of 60 illegally modified bicycles were also seized.
Dzulkhairi said the offence is being investigated under Section 112 (3) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for illegal modification of vehicles. Those convicted of the offence can be slapped with a fine of not more than RM2,000 and can be imprisoned for up to six months.
Dzulkhairi said illegally modified bicycles are unsafe for riding as most of them had their brakes removed.
He said riders would race on mosquito bikes as it gives them more momentum when going down a slope, which are common spots for their races.
He said efforts to weed out the illegal mosquito bike races are ongoing in order to protect the safety of everyone, including the cyclists themselves.