Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Lam Pin Min to Parliamentary Question on Bike-Sharing Operators and Bicycles

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to make it a requirement for bicycle-sharing companies to collectively invest in and construct bicycle docking stations, particularly around housing estates, to mitigate the current problem of having their shared bicycles strewn around untidily or causing obstruction.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport whether enforcement action will be taken against hirers of rental bicycles who dump the bicycles in an indiscriminate manner. 

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether the geo-fencing and incentive/disincentive elements in the bike-sharing operators' mobile applications have addressed the indiscriminate parking of bicycles; 

b.     what more can be done to compel the operators to make more investments to unilaterally clear indiscriminately parked bicycles expeditiously; and

c.     whether the Ministry will consider subsidising agencies such as Town Councils and commercial establishments to remove or report such bicycles.

Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Lam Pin Min:

1.     The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been working with other agencies to provide more parking spaces and step up enforcement. Since enforcement commenced in May 2017, LTA has issued more than 2,100 removal notices and collected about $180,000 in fines and administrative fees from the Bicycle Sharing Operators (BSOs). In October 2017, LTA, NParks and Town Councils signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BSOs, which sets out guidelines on the responsible operation of bicycle-sharing services in public spaces.

2.     LTA will also be proposing legislative amendments later this month to put in place a licensing framework for BSOs. As part of the proposed licensing framework, BSOs will be required to remove indiscriminately parked bicycles on public land within a stipulated time period. BSOs will also be required to adopt schemes that will disincentivise users for indiscriminate parking. This may involve high-accuracy geo-fencing. More details of the licensing regime will be announced when ready.