Statute Details
- Title: Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Class Licence) Order 2021
- Act Code: SMECLA2020-OR2
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020
- Legislative Status: Current version (as at 27 Mar 2026)
- Original Citation: SL 319/2021 (17 May 2021)
- Revised Edition: 2025 RevEd (2 Jun 2025)
- Key Provisions (from extract): Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Commencement: The class licence regime applies to relevant services provided “at any time on or after 17 May 2021” (see section 3(1)); the notice deadlines are specified in section 4.
What Is This Legislation About?
The Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Class Licence) Order 2021 (“the Order”) is a Singapore legal instrument that creates a class licence for certain shared mobility services. In practical terms, it sets out when a business providing specified shared mobility services is automatically brought within a licensing framework, and what conditions must be met.
The Order is made under the Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020. It does not operate in isolation: it relies on the Act’s overall regulatory architecture, including exemptions and the ability to suspend or disapply licensing. The Order’s function is to define the scope of the class licence and impose operational conditions—particularly around speed measurement and reporting-related notice obligations to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
At a high level, the Order targets shared mobility models that involve (i) docked registrable personal mobility devices and docked power-assisted bicycles, and (ii) certain docked motorised personal mobility devices without handlebars. It also introduces a compliance mechanism requiring class licensees to notify the LTA about their service and to update those particulars when changes occur. For “class licensee A” (a defined subset of class licensees), it imposes conditions relating to speedometers and the use of portable speed recording devices during rides.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Definitions and regulatory vocabulary (Section 2)
The Order contains definitions that are crucial for determining who is regulated and what compliance steps are required. Several terms are particularly important for practitioners:
- “Class licensee” means a person to whom the class licence applies, but excludes any period where the licence is suspended or disapplied under the Act.
- “Class licensee A” refers to a class licensee providing a shared mobility service described in section 3(1)(a). This is the category subject to the speed recording device conditions in section 6.
- “Registrable personal mobility device” is a motorised personal mobility device with handlebars (whether or not it has a seat). This definition is central because section 3(1)(a) is about docked registrable personal mobility devices and docked power-assisted bicycles.
- “Portable speed recording device” is broad: it includes a working mobile phone or like communication device, a working wireless handheld device (e.g., tablet), or a wearable device (e.g., smart watch), provided it has an appropriate speed recording application or is otherwise designed to measure and display the rider’s speed.
- “Always-on declaration” is an undertaking by the individual giving the undertaking to wear, carry or use the portable speed recording device and not to switch off or disengage the speed recording features when the device is in the individual’s possession.
These definitions indicate that compliance is not limited to hardware installed on the vehicle; it also extends to rider-side recording technology and behavioural commitments.
2. When the class licence applies (Section 3)
Section 3 is the “trigger” provision. It provides that, unless exempt under section 47 of the Act, every person who provides specified shared mobility services in the course of business at any time on or after 17 May 2021 is subject to the class licence.
Section 3(1)(a) covers a shared mobility service using docked registrable personal mobility devices or docked power-assisted bicycles under which an individual can:
- hire a docked device to ride on wholly or partly in a public place; and
- end the hiring of the docked device in or at any place (whether or not a public place).
Section 3(1)(b) covers a different model: a shared mobility service using motorised personal mobility devices without handlebars (but not in combination with any vehicle in section 3(1)(a)). Under this model, an individual can hire and then end the hiring of the docked device in or at any place.
Section 3(2) states that the conditions of the class licence are found in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6. This means that once the service falls within section 3(1), the compliance obligations in those sections attach.
3. Notice to the LTA about the shared mobility service (Section 4)
Section 4 imposes a formal notification obligation on class licensees. The notice must be given to the LTA about the shared mobility service described in section 3(1) by a specified deadline:
- 16 June 2021 for a class licensee providing a shared mobility service on 16 May 2021; or
- the 30th day after starting to provide the shared mobility service on or after 17 May 2021.
Section 4(2) specifies the content of the notice. It is detailed and includes corporate identity and operational points:
- the class licensee’s name and business form (sole proprietor, corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association);
- for each business form, specified registration and contact details (including UEN and incorporation/registration details);
- the name and contact details of at least one person in Singapore authorised to accept notices and documents on the class licensee’s behalf under the Act;
- the name and contact details of at least one person in Singapore nominated as the representative for the shared mobility service; and
- a description of the construction/type of vehicle and the total number of such vehicles used or to be used.
For practitioners, the key compliance risk is that the notice is not merely a high-level notification; it must include the enumerated particulars. In disputes, the adequacy of the notice content may matter for enforcement and for determining whether the licensee has complied with licensing conditions.
4. Updating notice particulars (Section 5)
Section 5 requires class licensees to notify the LTA of any change in any particulars contained in an earlier notice under section 4. The update must be given no later than 14 days after the change occurs.
This is a continuing obligation. It is designed to ensure that the LTA’s records remain accurate—particularly regarding authorised persons, nominated representatives, and vehicle details. Practically, businesses should implement internal change-management processes so that corporate changes (e.g., replacement of authorised representatives, changes in contact details, or modifications to vehicle types/quantities) are captured and reported within the 14-day window.
5. Speed recording device conditions for “class licensee A” (Section 6)
Section 6 is the most operationally significant provision in the extract. It applies to class licensee A, i.e., a class licensee providing the service described in section 3(1)(a) (docked registrable personal mobility devices and/or docked power-assisted bicycles).
Section 6 requires that, for every registrable personal mobility device or power-assisted bicycle used in providing the authorised shared mobility service, the class licensee must ensure:
- (a) Vehicle speedometer requirement: the device has installed or affixed with a working speedometer or like machine/device that can measure and display to a rider the speed at which the rider is travelling.
- (b) Pre-hire rider-side recording and mounting arrangements: before hire starts, the hirer must have in possession a portable speed recording device not provided by the class licensee and in working order; the vehicle must have a working bracket or apparatus enabling mounting of the portable speed recording device; and the hirer must make an always-on declaration regarding wearing/carrying/using the portable speed recording device and not disengaging its speed recording features while the device is in the hirer’s possession.
- (c) Alternative arrangement where the class licensee provides the device: before hire starts, the hirer is provided with a portable speed recording device in working order for the hirer to wear/carry/use, and the hirer makes an always-on declaration regarding the provided device.
From a compliance standpoint, section 6 effectively requires a two-layer speed measurement system: (i) a speedometer-like device on the vehicle for rider visibility, and (ii) a portable speed recording device with an always-on behavioural undertaking, either supplied by the hirer (section 6(b)) or supplied by the class licensee (section 6(c)).
For lawyers advising shared mobility operators, the practical questions include: how to document the always-on declaration; how to ensure the portable device remains operational and not disengaged; how to verify that brackets are functional; and how to manage device failures or rider non-compliance. While the Order does not specify enforcement mechanics within the extract, these issues are central to demonstrating compliance.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured as a short, targeted instrument with a conventional layout:
- Section 1 (Citation) identifies the Order.
- Section 2 (Definitions) provides interpretive terms used throughout the Order, including key concepts such as “class licensee”, “class licensee A”, “portable speed recording device”, and “always-on declaration”.
- Section 3 (Class licence for docked vehicles shared mobility service) sets the scope and the trigger for when the class licence applies to businesses providing specified docked shared mobility services.
- Section 4 (Notice about shared mobility service) imposes the initial notification obligation and prescribes the required content.
- Section 5 (Updating of notice particulars) imposes a continuing duty to update the LTA within 14 days of changes.
- Section 6 (Speed recording device condition for class licensee A) sets operational conditions for the relevant subset of class licensees, focusing on speedometer installation and portable speed recording arrangements with always-on declarations.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to “every person” who, in the course of business, provides the specified shared mobility services described in section 3(1) at any time on or after 17 May 2021—unless the person is exempt under section 47 of the Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020. This includes sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, and unincorporated associations, as reflected in the notice content requirements.
In addition, the speed recording device conditions in section 6 apply only to class licensee A, meaning the operator provides the service described in section 3(1)(a). Operators providing only the section 3(1)(b) service (docked motorised personal mobility devices without handlebars, not combined with section 3(1)(a) vehicles) would not fall within the “class licensee A” category, though they remain subject to the notice obligations in sections 4 and 5.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it operationalises licensing control for shared mobility enterprises without requiring a bespoke licence for every operator. By creating a class licence, it provides a structured compliance pathway: once an operator’s service falls within the defined scope, the operator is subject to defined conditions and must engage with the LTA through notice and updates.
The notice regime (sections 4 and 5) is significant for regulatory oversight. It ensures that the LTA can identify who is operating, who can receive legal notices, and what vehicles are being deployed. The 14-day update requirement is particularly relevant for corporate governance and operational changes, where delays could create compliance exposure.
Section 6 is also significant because it addresses safety and accountability through speed measurement. By requiring a working speedometer-like device and an always-on portable speed recording arrangement, the Order seeks to ensure that rider speed can be measured and recorded in a manner that is difficult to circumvent. For practitioners, advising on compliance will often involve drafting internal policies and rider-facing terms to capture the always-on declaration, implementing technical controls to support mounting and recording, and maintaining evidence that the required devices and arrangements were in place before hire.
Related Legislation
- Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020 (authorising Act; including provisions on exemptions and licensing suspension/disapplication, referenced in the Order)
- Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Class Licence) Order 2021 (this Order; 2025 Revised Edition as at 2 June 2025)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Class Licence) Order 2021 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.