Shamsir Firdaus, a Uber driver who lives near Dataran Seri Gelam, said he had nearly collided into a group of teenage cyclists in the past, as the cyclists would treat roads like cycling paths.
“Once, I nearly crashed into a group of them. I got angry and told them to go home. Just imagine if these were our kids. Of course we’d be angry that they were out late at night and racing with their bicycles.”
“Instead, I got ‘booed’. Teenagers nowadays aren’t afraid of adults,” he told FMT near Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, where a car slammed into a group of 16 boys on their bicycles early yesterday morning.
Six of the boys died on the spot, while another two died on the way to Johor Bahru’s Hospital Sultanah Aminah. Two are fighting for their lives in hospital with another six injured.
Shamsir said the teenagers who liked to race on the road did not care who scolded them.
“They aren’t afraid of the cops. They are immune to being chased, caught and having their bicycles confiscated.
“To me, it is good that this has happened because it becomes a lesson to other teenagers because until something like this happens they won’t care.”
He said the teenagers’ late night “joyrides” has been going on for the past 10 years, echoing the point made by the MP for the area and deputy home minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed yesterday.
Helmi Abdul Jalil, an employee at a nearby KFC said that in January, there was another bicycle accident which saw one teenager suffer injuries to his forehead after he crashed his bicycle into a car.
“Sadly, they didn’t learn their lesson and every week, they gather here with their modified bicycles. Their bicycles are weird because the handles aren’t at the top but at the bottom.
“Getting chased by the police is like a game to them. When the police come, they run and hide and when the cops leave, they come back to Jalan Lingkaran Dalam and continue with their activities.”
Shamsir said the teenagers would usually race on weekends and school holidays, from midnight till 6am.
He added that most of the teenagers came from outside the city with some coming from as far as Permas Jaya, Taman Desa Mutiara, Kempas and Skudai.
“Throughout their journey, they will travel along the highway and they don’t wear any safety equipment.”
Shamsir said Johor should introduce new laws to prevent teenagers from leaving their homes after midnight.
“That way, if accidents like this happen again, action can be taken against parents of the teenagers for letting their children go out in the early hours of the morning.
“Teenagers nowadays only know how to enjoy. The state government must penalise the parents.”
Yesterday, police said the 16 boys were all part of a group of 30 to 40 teenagers, aged 13 to 17 years, who were out cycling.
It was believed that the boys were blocking some roads before being mowed down by the car in Jalan Lingkaran Dalam.
The police have said that the 22-year-old driver of the car which rammed into the boys, was not drunk or speeding.