Debated in Parliament on 2 Aug 2022.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport in view of the new licence granted for bike sharing, what are the measures taken to ensure that there will not be any illegal parking or dumping of shared bicycles.
Bicycle-sharing operators are subject to a licensing regime to ensure that their services do not result in public disamenities. They are required to integrate LTA's QR code parking system with their mobile applications and to impose an additional fee of $5 on users who do not park within the designated areas. New bicycle-sharing operators are subjected to a "sandbox licence" regime where they are only allowed to operate up to 1,000 bicycles. Users who repeatedly park improperly are also banned from hiring shared bicycles for a period. Since the introduction of these measures in 2019, indiscriminate parking has declined, with more than 90% of shared bicycle users ending their trips at designated parking areas.
On 1 July 2022, LTA awarded a sandbox licence to HelloRide to provide a fleet of up to 1,000 bicycles for one year. They were required to submit, as part of their application, plans to devote resources and set up systems to monitor their fleet and remove indiscriminately parked bicycles within a given timeframe. LTA will monitor their operations and assess their track record in managing indiscriminate parking, among other factors, before they are allowed to obtain a full licence.
We will also continue to provide more bicycle parking to cater to a growing number of cyclists. Since 2019, LTA and other agencies have added about 40,000 new bicycle parking lots, and now, have over 246,000 lots across the island. With all these measures in place, we hope that all users will play their part and park their bicycles in a responsible manner.
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