LTA awards bike-sharing licence to HelloRide in Singapore

Credit: HelloRide

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced that it has awarded a licence to Shanghai-based bike-sharing operator HelloRide to provide a shared mobility service with a fleet of up to 1,000 bicycles in Singapore.

HelloRide was awarded a Type 2 ‘sandbox’ licence, valid for up to one-year, after which it will have to apply for a Type 1 full licence to allow it to operate a larger fleet of bikes.

According to LTA, when evaluating applications it will consider factors such as the applicant’s track record, and its ability to manage indiscriminate parking and ensure healthy fleet utilisation.

Since 2019, LTA’s regulatory requirements have helped to support the sustainable growth of the bike-sharing landscape. To date, the three bike-sharing operators in Singapore are Anywheel, SG Bike and HelloRide, with the first two companies possessing Type 1 full licensees. The total fleet size across all three bike-sharing operators stands at 36,000 bicycles.

Walk-Cycle-Ride: Delivering a more sustainable transport system in Singapore

Bike-sharing services provide commuters with a convenient mode of transport for first- and last-mile journeys – supporting Singapore’s drive towards becoming a car-lite society.

Companies keen to offer bicycle-sharing services in Singapore may apply for sandbox bicycle licences, subject to regulatory requirements such as limitations on fleet size, and mandatory integration of LTA’s QR code parking system to promote responsible parking habits. Since the introduction of the QR code parking system and user ban in January 2019, more than 90 per cent of shared bicycle users now end their trips at designated parking areas.