SINGAPORE: Licence applications for motorised personal mobility device (PMD)-sharing services will open on Friday (Jan 4), said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday.
For a start, LTA will accept applications for sandbox licences for small fleets.
Advertisement "Operators that are awarded sandbox licences will have small fleet sizes so that LTA can assess their operations and ability to comply with regulatory requirements, before being considered for full licences for large-scale operations," said the authority.
This follows an application cycle for bicycle-sharing licences last year, which saw full licences granted to ofo, Mobike and SG Bike, as well as sandbox licences awarded to Anywheel, GrabCycle and Qiqi Zhixiang.
These operators may also apply from Friday to increase their fleet sizes or to graduate from a sandbox licence to a full licence.
LTA said it will evaluate applications based on criteria such as plans to manage indiscriminate parking and the ability to maintain a "healthy fleet utilisation rate".
Advertisement Advertisement It will also look into an applicant's compliance with active mobility device criteria - for example, device weight and dimensions - as well as fire safety requirements in the case of motorised PMDs.
Under the licensing framework, operators who have been granted sandbox licences and full licences for motorised PMD and bike-sharing services will be allowed to operate in public spaces for one year and two years respectively.
"As with the first cycle of application, LTA will continue to adopt a conservative approach in determining the fleet sizes," said the authority.
"Sandbox licensees who are able to manage indiscriminate parking well, comply with all licence requirements and ensure good utilisation of their fleet will have the opportunity to obtain a full licence and grow their fleets over time."
Meanwhile, licensees will also have to integrate the QR code parking system - which will be implemented on Jan 14 - in their mobile applications for users.
[h=3]READ: QR code geo-fencing, new licensing regime to tackle indiscriminate parking of shared bicycles[/h]REQUIREMENTS FOR MOTORISED PMD-SHARING LICENSEES
Motorised PMD-sharing licensees will also have to comply with new safety requirements, which will require them to ensure that charging of such devices "is carried out by suitable personnel in proper environments", said LTA.
Motorised PMDs used for PMD-sharing services must also be certified to the UL2272 standard to reduce risk of fires.
In addition, licensees will also be required to procure and maintain insurance to cover any third-party liability for death or injuries arising from the use of their motorised PMDs.
[h=3]READ: All motorised PMDs must meet fire safety standards by 2021[/h]Applications should be submitted via LTA's website by Feb 11, 2019.
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