Motorcycle taxi rider in Hanoi, Vietnam fined S$149 for fetching 4 females as pillion at same time

A motorcycle taxi rider in Hanoi, Vietnam was issued a hefty fine after he was seen ferrying four female passengers at the same time on his two-wheeler.

All five riders were without helmets when seen at Tran Duy Hung Street on Oct. 30 at around 7:30pm.

It was unclear if all four female passengers were adults or consisted of a mix of adults and at least one child.

Footage of incident trended online

The motorcyclist was identified as 19-year-old N.T.H. from Hai Phong City.

He was slapped with a 3 million Vietnamese dong (S$149) fine for multiple violations, including carrying more passengers than allowed, transporting helmetless passengers, and riding without a helmet.

The bike bore a Hanoi licence plate, it was reported.

The five riders travelled a substantial distance along Tran Duy Hung Street before being recorded by passers-by.

The scene, even by local standards, was likely too much for the Vietnamese, who were awed and tickled by it.

Police alerted

The footage then trended online and was submitted as evidence to the city's traffic police.

The authorities verified the incident as authentic and the rider was hauled up to face the music.

He admitted to the violation and shared that the motorcycle used for ride-hailing services was borrowed from a relative.

The process at the station saw the motorcyclist acknowledge his violations and sign an undertaking to not repeat the offences.

Responses to incident

On social media, the image of the four female passengers riding pillion attracted many comments, where a number of them made light of the offence.

Some quipped that they could never get four females to be that close to them even by offering S$149 for their momentary company, while others praised the workhorse sturdiness of the motorcycle and inquired about its brand.

Others posted comments that hinted at innuendo, saying that it is always a must to wear a helmet while riding.

Photos via Vietnamese Facebook pages