S'pore allows China bicycle-sharing giant HelloRide to put 1,000 bicycles on streets - Mothership.SG

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The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded a one-year licence to Hello Inc., a bike-sharing company from China, which allows it to put up to 1,000 bicycles in Singapore.

The firm’s Singapore operation HelloRide was awarded a “sandbox” licence, LTA said in a statement on July 1.

To operate a larger fleet of bicycles, it will have to apply for a full licence after a year.

The Shanghai-based Hello has become the third bike-sharing operator in Singapore after Anywheel and SG Bike.

There are now 36,000 bicycles on the streets.

The HelloRide startup, previously known as HelloBike, is backed by Alibaba’s fintech affiliate Ant Group.

Resurgence of bicycle-sharing?

There has been a total of nine bicycle-sharing companies — oBike, ofo, Mobike, SG Bike, GBikes, ShareBikeSG, Baicycle, Anywheel and Moov Technology — operational in Singapore.

Collectively, they offered a total of more than 200,000 shared bicycles.

Bike-sharing was introduced in Singapore in 2017.

The industry peaked in 2018.

The reputation of the industry locally took multiple hits owing to failed experiments.

Background

LTA said more than 90 per cent of users now end their trips at designated spots since the introduction of the QR parking system and the ban of users who repeatedly park ungraciously.

“Since 2019, LTA’s regulatory requirements have helped to support the sustainable growth of the bicycle-sharing landscape,” it said.

The authorities here had to regulate the bicycle-sharing industry due to public feedback and complaints.

Yellow rectangular zones in public areas popped up in 2017 as designated parking spots.

In 2018, new measures, such as a licensing regime were implemented, and users were required to scan a Quick Response (QR) code at designated parking lots as proof of proper parking before ending their trips.

The introduction of a slew of regulations sounded the death knell for some of the operators.

In mid-2018, oBike closed down in Singapore citing “difficulties” in meeting the new requirements, leaving customers unable to get refunds of their deposits.

Another operator, ofo, also closed down that year, laid off staff, and owed creditors S$700,000.

The total number of shared bicycles in Singapore was slashed by about half when the licensing regime kicked in.

Some operators could only operate with a smaller fleet size as a result.

Top photos via Mike Than Tun Win & Jasper Yap

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