SINGAPORE - Two boys have been caught on video damaging the locks on rental bicycles from bike-sharing firm ofo, before cycling off on their free ride.

The 55-sec video, which was posted on Facebook on Saturday (Dec 9) night and has been circulating online, showed the boys at a Housing Development Board (HDB) void deck.

One of them is filmed using a hammer-like object to repeatedly hit the lock of a bicycle. He had earlier dragged an oBike that had fallen on its side away.

After damaging the lock, his friend then hopped onto the bike, before the pair are seen riding away on two ofo bikes.

An ofo spokesman told The Straits Times on Sunday that it is aware of the incident.

"In cases such as these, we will not hesitate to work with the authorities to ensure that our users enjoy and benefit from our bike-sharing service," she said.

The spokesman said that such incidents account for less than one per cent of its fleet in Singapore.

To encourage responsibility among riders, it has worked with the government agencies to increase the number of designated parking spots and introduce a credit system to reward good user behaviour.

It also urges the public to report incidents of bike abuse on its Facebook page and app.

Last month, a couple was filmed tossing at least two bicycles from oBike into a drain.

The Straits Times understands that the duo later turned themselves in to the police.

Police had told ST that a 37-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman are assisting in investigations.

If found guilty of mischief, they could be jailed for up to a year and/or fined.