Traffic police in Ho Chi Minh City imposed an administrative fine on a man for riding a horse on a street in the central area of the southern metropolis on Tuesday.

The fine, the amount of which was unspecified, was levied on H.V.T.S., 30, living in the city, for riding animals on the roadway of motor vehicles and failing to prepare enough equipment to store animal waste and clean up after them, an official from the road-railway traffic police department confirmed on Wednesday morning.

S. was seen wearing a uniform of ride-hailing firm Be and touring many downtown parts of the city on a horse on Tuesday, ignoring traffic safety.

The incident, which he later explained as an advertising program by Be, was filmed by many passers-by and went viral on social media.

S.’s weird act only ended when he and his horse reached the intersection between Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street and Hai Ba Trung Street in District 3 and they were booked by a traffic police team.

The man told the officers that Be paid him to do this activity to advertise the ride-hailing brand and he was not aware of the road traffic law against riding animals on city streets, so he agreed to perform the job.

S. said that he rented the white horse in question from a farm in the suburban district of Binh Chanh and used a truck to carry the animal to the center of Ho Chi Minh City.

While S. admitted to the wrongdoing, a communications representative of Be told Tuoi Tre (Youth) on Wednesday that S. is not a Be driving partner and the company is currently clarifying the case. 

The firm did not comment on the allegation that the incident was a form of advertising.

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