Statute Details
- Title: Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Class Licence) Order 2021
- Act Code: SMECLA2020-OR2
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Status: Current version (as at 27 Mar 2026)
- Authorising Act: Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020 (Section 17)
- Key Instrument Dates (from legislative history):
- 17 May 2021: Order issued (SL 319/2021)
- 02 Jun 2025: 2025 Revised Edition
- Commencement Date: Not stated in the extract (but the Order applies to services provided “at any time on or after 17 May 2021”)
- Key Sections (from extract): Sections 2 to 6
What Is This Legislation About?
The Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Class Licence) Order 2021 (“the Order”) is a regulatory instrument made under the Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020. In practical terms, it creates a class licence regime for certain shared mobility services—meaning that eligible operators do not need to obtain a bespoke individual licence for each service model. Instead, if they fall within the categories described in the Order, they are automatically subject to the class licence conditions.
The Order is focused on shared mobility services that involve docked vehicles and, in particular, registrable personal mobility devices and power-assisted bicycles used for hire in public places. It also addresses a narrower category of docked motorised personal mobility devices without handlebars. The licensing mechanism is designed to ensure that operators notify Singapore’s transport regulator, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and comply with operational conditions intended to support safety and enforceability.
A distinctive feature of the Order is its requirement for speed recording arrangements. For “class licensee A” (a subset of class licensees providing the docked registrable personal mobility device / power-assisted bicycle service), the Order imposes conditions relating to the installation of speedometers and the use of portable speed recording devices, including an “always-on declaration” requirement. This reflects a policy goal of enabling speed measurement and accountability during rides.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Definitions (Section 2). The Order defines several terms that determine its scope and compliance obligations. Key definitions include:
- “class licensee”: a person to whom the class licence applies by virtue of the Order, excluding periods where the licence is suspended or disapplied under the Act.
- “class licensee A”: a class licensee providing a shared mobility service mentioned in paragraph 3(1)(a).
- “portable speed recording device”: includes a working mobile phone or similar communication device, a 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 speed of the individual carrying/wearing it.
- “always-on declaration”: an undertaking by the individual giving the undertaking to wear/carry/use the device and not to switch off or otherwise disengage the speed recording features when the device is in the individual’s possession.
- “registrable personal mobility device”: a motorised personal mobility device with handlebars (whether or not it has a seat).
- “power-assisted bicycle”: a bicycle equipped with an electric motor, which may be propelled by human power, the electric motor, or both.
2. When the class licence applies (Section 3). Section 3 is the gateway provision. It provides that, unless exempt under Section 47 of the Act, every person who provides, at any time on or after 17 May 2021, in the course of business, a covered shared mobility service is subject to the class licence.
Section 3(1) covers two main categories:
- Paragraph 3(1)(a): shared mobility service using docked registrable personal mobility devices or docked power-assisted bicycles, where an individual can (i) hire the docked vehicle to ride on wholly or partly in a public place, and (ii) end the hiring with the vehicle docked in or at any place (whether or not public).
- Paragraph 3(1)(b): shared mobility service using docked motorised personal mobility devices without handlebars (and not in combination with the vehicles in paragraph 3(1)(a)), with similar hire and docking mechanics.
3. Notice to the LTA (Section 4). Section 4 requires a class licensee to give notice to the LTA about the shared mobility service it is providing. The timing depends on whether the service was already being provided on 16 May 2021:
- If providing the service on 16 May 2021, notice must be given by 16 June 2021.
- Otherwise, notice must be given no later than the 30th day after starting to provide the service on or after 17 May 2021.
The notice must include detailed corporate and operational particulars, including:
- Identity and business form (sole proprietor, corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association).
- For each business form, specific registration/incorporation details and UEN.
- At least one authorised person in Singapore to accept notices and documents on the class licensee’s behalf under the Act.
- At least one nominated representative in Singapore for the shared mobility service.
- A description of the vehicle construction/type and the total number of such vehicles used or to be used.
4. Updating notice particulars (Section 5). Section 5 imposes a continuing obligation. If any particulars contained in an earlier notice change, the class licensee must notify the LTA. The notice of change must be given no later than 14 days after the change occurs. This is a strict timing requirement and is likely to be a key compliance focus for operators with dynamic corporate structures, contact persons, or fleet composition.
5. Speed recording device conditions for “class licensee A” (Section 6). Section 6 is the most operationally significant provision in the extract. It requires class licensee A to ensure that, for every docked registrable personal mobility device or power-assisted bicycle used in providing the authorised shared mobility service, the following are satisfied:
- Speedometer requirement (Section 6(a)): each vehicle must have installed or affixed a working speedometer or like machine/device that can measure and display the rider’s speed.
- Pre-hire conditions where the hirer uses their own portable device (Section 6(b)): before hire starts, the hirer must have in their possession a working portable speed recording device not provided by the class licensee; the vehicle must have a working bracket (or similar apparatus) allowing mounting of the portable device; and the hirer must make an always-on declaration regarding wearing/carrying/using the device and not disengaging the speed recording features.
- Pre-hire conditions where the class licensee provides the portable device (Section 6(c)): alternatively, before hire starts, the hirer must be provided with a working portable speed recording device for use when riding, and must make an always-on declaration regarding the provided device.
From a practitioner’s perspective, Section 6 effectively creates a compliance model with two pathways (hirer-supplied portable device or operator-supplied portable device), but in both cases the operator must ensure that the speed recording features are not switched off or disengaged and that the device is used while the rider is in possession.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured as a short set of provisions:
- Section 1 (Citation): identifies the Order.
- Section 2 (Definitions): sets out interpretive definitions used throughout the instrument.
- Section 3 (Class licence for docked vehicles shared mobility service): establishes the scope—who is subject to the class licence and which shared mobility services are covered.
- Section 4 (Notice about shared mobility service): sets the initial notification obligation and the content requirements for the notice.
- Section 5 (Updating of notice particulars): imposes a continuing duty to notify the LTA of changes within a defined timeframe.
- Section 6 (Speed recording device condition for class licensee A): provides operational conditions for the subset of class licensees providing the paragraph 3(1)(a) service category.
Notably, the extract indicates that the class licence conditions are contained in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6, and that exemption may be available under Section 47 of the Act. While the extract does not reproduce Section 47, it signals that the class licence is not absolute and may be displaced by statutory exemption.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to persons providing covered shared mobility services in the course of business in Singapore. It is not limited to a particular corporate form; it expressly covers sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, and unincorporated associations. The class licence applies “at any time on or after 17 May 2021” unless an exemption under the Act applies.
Operationally, the Order applies to providers of docked shared mobility services using the defined vehicle categories. It also creates a differentiated compliance regime: while all class licensees must comply with notice obligations (Sections 4 and 5), only class licensee A (providers under paragraph 3(1)(a)) must comply with the speed recording device conditions in Section 6.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it translates the Shared Mobility Enterprises licensing framework into a practical, operator-facing compliance regime. For many shared mobility operators, the class licence model reduces administrative friction compared with individual licensing—yet it still imposes enforceable duties, particularly around timely notice to the LTA and the maintenance of accurate operational particulars.
From a risk management perspective, the notice provisions (Sections 4 and 5) are likely to be the first compliance checkpoints. Failure to notify within the specified deadlines (30 days after starting; or 16 June 2021 for pre-existing services; and 14 days after changes) could expose an operator to regulatory action under the Act, including potential suspension or disapplication of the class licence.
Section 6 is equally significant. It imposes concrete technical and procedural requirements on class licensee A, including ensuring vehicles have working speedometers, ensuring the availability of a bracket for mounting a portable speed recording device, and ensuring riders make an “always-on declaration” and do not disengage speed recording features. For practitioners advising operators, this raises questions about evidence and process: how declarations are obtained, how device functionality is verified, and how compliance is demonstrated during audits or enforcement.
Related Legislation
- Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020 (authorising Act; including provisions on exemptions such as Section 47 and enforcement mechanisms affecting suspension/disapplication)
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.