Parking of Shared Bicycles Should not Obstruct Public Spaces

Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will require bicycle sharing operators to have a viable proposal for their customers to park rented bicycles adequately and without obstructing public spaces before they can be allowed to operate their business.

Bicycle sharing operators (BSOs) are responsible for ensuring that their bicycles are not indiscriminately parked. If a shared bicycle is reported to be outside of a public bicycle parking lot, they have to remove it within half a day or face a penalty of $300 for the first offence and $500 per bicycle for subsequent offences. On top of this, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will impound the bicycle and levy a fee on the BSO for each bicycle impounded.

In addition, LTA, the National Parks Board and Town Councils are working with BSOs on a Memorandum of Understanding to lay out guidelines on the responsible operation of bicycle-sharing services in public spaces.