SINGAPORE — November 4, 2026
A man who sparked online criticism after a video appeared to show him taping a mobile phone to the rear of an SBS Transit double-decker bus has defended his actions, claiming that the footage was staged and that the phone was not used to record him riding behind the vehicle.
His explanation, however, has not ended the debate. SBS Transit has confirmed that it lodged a police report, saying the incident could have placed the man and other road users at risk.
The controversy began after a video circulated on social media on Nov. 1, showing a man approaching the rear of a stationary SBS Transit bus and appearing to attach a mobile phone using yellow tape. The footage then cut to scenes of him riding a motorcycle behind the bus, creating the impression that the phone was recording his journey.
The incident was believed to have taken place along Jalan Besar in Singapore.
Man says another motorcycle filmed the footage
In a social media post on Nov. 2, the man responded to criticism by offering a different account of how the video was made.
He said the phone shown being attached to the bus was not actually used to record the motorcycle footage. Instead, he claimed that the recording was captured using a DJI camera mounted on another motorcycle.
He also said the filming took place at around 7am and maintained that nothing illegal had happened.
The explanation was reported by AsiaOne and independently covered by Mothership and 8world. However, the available reports did not establish that the behind-the-scenes account had been independently verified. <Cite refs={[“turn111921news0″,”turn111921search2″,”turn111921search4”]}/>
The distinction is important: the original video appeared to show one setup, while the man’s later explanation described a different recording arrangement.
For now, the public footage and his subsequent statement do not provide a complete, independently verified account of every part of the filming.
SBS Transit confirms police report
SBS Transit has made clear that it does not approve of the behaviour shown in the circulating video.
Company spokesperson Grace Wu told AsiaOne that the operator takes the incident seriously because it could put the individual and other road users at risk.
The company confirmed that it had lodged a police report.
The statement came after the original video attracted attention online, with viewers questioning the safety of attaching an object to a public bus and appearing to follow it on a motorcycle.
A police report does not automatically mean that someone has been found guilty of an offence. It allows the matter to be brought to the authorities’ attention for assessment and investigation. <Cite refs={[“turn111921news0″,”turn111921search1”]}/>
A second video appears to show another attempt
The controversy continued after the man shared another video following his explanation.
In that separate clip, he appeared to repeat the phone-taping concept with another bus. Its caption suggested that a second part was coming and invited viewers to suggest where he should place the phone next.
The additional post drew further attention because it came after the public response to the first video.
It also raised questions about whether the man intended to continue producing similar content despite the safety concerns and SBS Transit’s police report. <Cite refs={[“turn111921news0″,”turn111921search2”]}/>
Why the incident raised concerns among road users
The debate is not limited to whether the phone was actually used to film the motorcycle footage.
Public buses operate in shared road environments and carry passengers who have no involvement in a content creator’s production. Any activity around a moving bus that could distract a driver, obstruct a vehicle or create an unexpected hazard may affect people beyond the person making the video.
Motorcyclists also share roads with buses, cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Filming arrangements that involve multiple vehicles can therefore raise safety questions even when the creator describes the result as staged.
That is the concern behind SBS Transit’s response: the operator specifically cited the possible risks to the individual and other road users.
The incident is another reminder that a video being staged does not automatically make every part of its production safe.
Singapore has seen other bus-related safety disputes
The latest controversy comes amid other incidents involving buses and road users in Singapore.
In January 2026, SBS Transit lodged a police report after a car was allegedly seen driving slowly in front of a Service 51 bus and repeatedly braking while occupying the bus lane along Geylang Road.
The operator said the behaviour created a potential safety risk for other road users, particularly bus commuters. Police confirmed that a report had been lodged and said they were looking into the matter. <Cite refs={[“turn640445search3″,”turn640445search4”]}/>
In September, SBS Transit also reported an incident at Cove LRT station after a boy was filmed throwing a bag towards the tracks. The operator described the incident as a public-safety concern, while police confirmed that a report had been lodged. <Cite refs={[“turn399941search6”]}/>
These incidents are separate from the viral phone video, but they highlight the importance of keeping public transport facilities and road environments safe for passengers, workers and other road users.
Singapore is strengthening its wider bus-safety efforts
The Land Transport Authority has also been working with public transport operators to improve safety across the bus network.
In August, LTA said 99 per cent of bus captains had completed its Bus Captain Drive Safe refresher programme as of July 2026. The programme aims to reinforce safety awareness and safe driving practices.
LTA also reported completing trials of an AI-powered video analytics system that uses existing cameras on buses. The technology can identify situations such as motorists encroaching into bus lanes and vehicles parked illegally, as well as certain road-infrastructure defects.
The system achieved an average accuracy of 90 per cent across the scenarios tested, with progressive deployment scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. LTA plans to expand it across all bus routes by 2030. <Cite refs={[“turn640445search5″,”turn640445search6”]}/>
Read more: https://wwconemedia.com/sbs-transit-turns-to-ai-to-tackle-bus-bunching-and-delays-across-singapore/
The technology is intended to support safer and more reliable bus operations. It does not, however, replace the responsibility of individual road users to behave safely around public transport vehicles.
What does the man’s explanation mean for the investigation?
The man’s claim that another motorcycle was used to film the footage adds an important detail to the story, but it does not settle every question surrounding the incident.
Investigators would need to establish what actually happened, including the circumstances in which the phone was placed against the bus, whether the vehicle was affected and whether any road-safety rules were breached.
Oriental Daily, citing lawyer Huang Guoyan, reported that possible legal issues could depend on the conduct that can be established. The lawyer discussed potential offences involving public nuisance and damage to property, while noting the difficulty of assessing the incident based on the available footage alone. <Cite refs={[“turn111921search5”]}/>
No publicly reported finding has established that the man committed an offence. Equally, his assertion that nothing illegal happened should not be treated as an official determination.
The police report and any subsequent investigation will be important in clarifying the circumstances.
A viral video with consequences beyond social media
The incident shows how a short online video can develop into a wider public-safety issue.
What initially appeared to be a phone attached to a moving bus became a debate about filming arrangements, motorcycle safety and the responsibilities of people creating content in public spaces.
The man’s explanation may clarify how he says the footage was recorded, but SBS Transit’s response shows that the operator remains concerned about the potential risks.
For now, the confirmed facts are that a video appeared to show a phone being taped to an SBS Transit bus, the man later said another motorcycle-mounted camera filmed the riding footage, and SBS Transit lodged a police report.
Whether any offence occurred remains a matter for the authorities to assess.
The bigger question is whether the pursuit of viral attention is worth creating uncertainty and potential risks around vehicles carrying members of the public.
SINGAPORE — November 4, 2026
A man who sparked online criticism after a video appeared to show him taping a mobile phone to the rear of an SBS Transit double-decker bus has defended his actions, claiming that the footage was staged and that the phone was not used to record him riding behind the vehicle.
His explanation, however, has not ended the debate. SBS Transit has confirmed that it lodged a police report, saying the incident could have placed the man and other road users at risk.
The controversy began after a video circulated on social media on Nov. 1, showing a man approaching the rear of a stationary SBS Transit bus and appearing to attach a mobile phone using yellow tape. The footage then cut to scenes of him riding a motorcycle behind the bus, creating the impression that the phone was recording his journey.
The incident was believed to have taken place along Jalan Besar in Singapore.
Man says another motorcycle filmed the footage
In a social media post on Nov. 2, the man responded to criticism by offering a different account of how the video was made.
He said the phone shown being attached to the bus was not actually used to record the motorcycle footage. Instead, he claimed that the recording was captured using a DJI camera mounted on another motorcycle.
He also said the filming took place at around 7am and maintained that nothing illegal had happened.
The explanation was reported by AsiaOne and independently covered by Mothership and 8world. However, the available reports did not establish that the behind-the-scenes account had been independently verified.
The distinction is important: the original video appeared to show one setup, while the man’s later explanation described a different recording arrangement.
For now, the public footage and his subsequent statement do not provide a complete, independently verified account of every part of the filming.
SBS Transit confirms police report
SBS Transit has made clear that it does not approve of the behaviour shown in the circulating video.
Company spokesperson Grace Wu told AsiaOne that the operator takes the incident seriously because it could put the individual and other road users at risk.
The company confirmed that it had lodged a police report.
The statement came after the original video attracted attention online, with viewers questioning the safety of attaching an object to a public bus and appearing to follow it on a motorcycle.
A police report does not automatically mean that someone has been found guilty of an offence. It allows the matter to be brought to the authorities’ attention for assessment and investigation.
A second video appears to show another attempt
The controversy continued after the man shared another video following his explanation.
In that separate clip, he appeared to repeat the phone-taping concept with another bus. Its caption suggested that a second part was coming and invited viewers to suggest where he should place the phone next.
The additional post drew further attention because it came after the public response to the first video.
It also raised questions about whether the man intended to continue producing similar content despite the safety concerns and SBS Transit’s police report.
Why the incident raised concerns among road users
The debate is not limited to whether the phone was actually used to film the motorcycle footage.
Public buses operate in shared road environments and carry passengers who have no involvement in a content creator’s production. Any activity around a moving bus that could distract a driver, obstruct a vehicle or create an unexpected hazard may affect people beyond the person making the video.
Motorcyclists also share roads with buses, cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Filming arrangements that involve multiple vehicles can therefore raise safety questions even when the creator describes the result as staged.
That is the concern behind SBS Transit’s response: the operator specifically cited the possible risks to the individual and other road users.
The incident is another reminder that a video being staged does not automatically make every part of its production safe.
Singapore has seen other bus-related safety disputes
The latest controversy comes amid other incidents involving buses and road users in Singapore.
In January 2026, SBS Transit lodged a police report after a car was allegedly seen driving slowly in front of a Service 51 bus and repeatedly braking while occupying the bus lane along Geylang Road.
The operator said the behaviour created a potential safety risk for other road users, particularly bus commuters. Police confirmed that a report had been lodged and said they were looking into the matter.
In September, SBS Transit also reported an incident at Cove LRT station after a boy was filmed throwing a bag towards the tracks. The operator described the incident as a public-safety concern, while police confirmed that a report had been lodged.
These incidents are separate from the viral phone video, but they highlight the importance of keeping public transport facilities and road environments safe for passengers, workers and other road users.
Singapore is strengthening its wider bus-safety efforts
The Land Transport Authority has also been working with public transport operators to improve safety across the bus network.
In August, LTA said 99 per cent of bus captains had completed its Bus Captain Drive Safe refresher programme as of July 2026. The programme aims to reinforce safety awareness and safe driving practices.
LTA also reported completing trials of an AI-powered video analytics system that uses existing cameras on buses. The technology can identify situations such as motorists encroaching into bus lanes and vehicles parked illegally, as well as certain road-infrastructure defects.
The system achieved an average accuracy of 90 per cent across the scenarios tested, with progressive deployment scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. LTA plans to expand it across all bus routes by 2030.
Read more: https://wwconemedia.com/sbs-transit-turns-to-ai-to-tackle-bus-bunching-and-delays-across-singapore/
The technology is intended to support safer and more reliable bus operations. It does not, however, replace the responsibility of individual road users to behave safely around public transport vehicles.
What does the man’s explanation mean for the investigation?
The man’s claim that another motorcycle was used to film the footage adds an important detail to the story, but it does not settle every question surrounding the incident.
Investigators would need to establish what actually happened, including the circumstances in which the phone was placed against the bus, whether the vehicle was affected and whether any road-safety rules were breached.
Oriental Daily, citing lawyer Huang Guoyan, reported that possible legal issues could depend on the conduct that can be established. The lawyer discussed potential offences involving public nuisance and damage to property, while noting the difficulty of assessing the incident based on the available footage alone.
No publicly reported finding has established that the man committed an offence. Equally, his assertion that nothing illegal happened should not be treated as an official determination.
The police report and any subsequent investigation will be important in clarifying the circumstances.
A viral video with consequences beyond social media
The incident shows how a short online video can develop into a wider public-safety issue.
What initially appeared to be a phone attached to a moving bus became a debate about filming arrangements, motorcycle safety and the responsibilities of people creating content in public spaces.
The man’s explanation may clarify how he says the footage was recorded, but SBS Transit’s response shows that the operator remains concerned about the potential risks.
For now, the confirmed facts are that a video appeared to show a phone being taped to an SBS Transit bus, the man later said another motorcycle-mounted camera filmed the riding footage, and SBS Transit lodged a police report.
Whether any offence occurred remains a matter for the authorities to assess.
The bigger question is whether the pursuit of viral attention is worth creating uncertainty and potential risks around vehicles carrying members of the public.
