Statute Details
- Title: Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Temporary Exemption) Order 2020
- Act Code: SMECLA2020-OR1
- Type: Statutory Instrument (Order)
- Authorising Act: Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020 (Section 47)
- Current status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Revised edition: 2025 Revised Edition (2 June 2025)
- Original instrument date: 22 Jul 2020 (SL 568/2020)
- Amendment: Amended by S 321/2021 (17 May 2021)
- Key provisions (from extract): Section 2 (definitions); Section 3 (docked vehicle for hire); Section 4 (facilitating bookings)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Temporary Exemption) Order 2020 (“the Order”) is a Singapore statutory instrument made under the Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020 (“the Act”). In plain terms, it creates a limited set of exemptions from certain licensing/control requirements in the Act for specific kinds of shared mobility services.
The Order is aimed at regulating “shared mobility” while allowing certain business models to operate without being caught by the Act’s general requirements—at least for the activities described in the Order. The exemption is not a blanket carve-out for all shared mobility operations. Instead, it is tightly linked to two operational scenarios: (1) providing docked vehicles for hire, and (2) facilitating bookings for on-demand hiring of vehicles.
Practically, the Order recognises that some services—particularly those involving docking infrastructure and/or booking facilitation—may function differently from other shared mobility arrangements. By exempting these specific activities from Sections 8 and 9 of the Act, the Order reduces compliance burdens for qualifying operators, while still leaving the broader regulatory framework intact for non-qualifying activities.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 2: Definitions sets the vocabulary for the exemption. The definitions are central because the scope of the exemptions depends on whether the service involves the relevant “vehicle” types. The Order defines:
- “motorised personal mobility device” as a personal mobility device other than a non-motorised personal mobility device;
- “non-motorised personal mobility device” as a personal mobility device designed to be propelled by human power only;
- “power-assisted bicycle” as a bicycle equipped with an electric motor, which may be propelled by human power, the motor, or both; and
- “vehicle” as a bicycle, personal mobility device, power-assisted bicycle or mobility vehicle.
For practitioners, the key takeaway is that the exemption is not limited to bicycles alone. It covers a defined set of “vehicles” including personal mobility devices and power-assisted bicycles. However, the operative provisions in Sections 3 and 4 focus on whether the vehicles are “docked” or “undocked” and where hiring and ending of hiring occur.
Section 3: Providing docked vehicle for hire provides the first exemption. It states that Sections 8 and 9 of the Act do not apply to a person who, in the course of business, provides a service using bicycles, non-motorised personal mobility devices, or mobility vehicles (or combinations of such vehicles) under which an individual can:
- (a) hire a docked bicycle, docked non-motorised personal mobility device, or docked mobility vehicle to ride on wholly or partly in a public place; and
- (b) end the hiring of the vehicle docked in or at any place, whether or not a public place.
This provision is best understood as a “docking-and-return” model exemption. The service must involve docked vehicles at the start of hiring, and the end of hiring must require docking in or at any place. Importantly, the ride itself must be on wholly or partly in a public place, but the return docking location can be anywhere (public or non-public). That distinction matters for operators with private docking stations, depot areas, or controlled premises.
Section 4: Facilitating making and taking of bookings of vehicles for hire provides a second exemption, again limited to the non-application of Sections 8 and 9 of the Act. It applies to a person who, in the course of business, provides a service that involves facilitating the making and taking of bookings by an individual to hire vehicles under specified conditions.
Section 4 is structured around three scenarios:
- (a) On-demand hiring of undocked vehicles in a public place: facilitating bookings for an individual to hire on-demand a vehicle when it is standing or exposed undocked in a public place for hire by the general public, to ride on wholly or partly in a public place, and to end the hiring by undocking in or at any public place.
- (b) On-demand hiring of undocked vehicles (public or non-public exposure): facilitating bookings for an individual to hire on-demand a vehicle when it is standing or exposed undocked (whether or not in a public place) for hire by the general public or otherwise, to ride on wholly or partly in a public place, and to end the hiring either undocked or docked in or at any place (public or non-public).
- (c) Hiring of docked vehicles with flexible end-of-hire docking/undocking: facilitating bookings for an individual to hire a docked vehicle to ride on wholly or partly in a public place, and to end the hiring either undocked or docked in or at any place (public or non-public).
From a compliance perspective, Section 4 is particularly relevant to platforms and intermediaries. The operative concept is “facilitating the making and taking of bookings”. That suggests the exemption may cover booking services even where the facilitator is not the direct provider of the physical vehicles, provided the service fits the statutory conditions. However, the exemption is still tethered to how hiring is initiated (docked vs undocked; public vs non-public exposure) and how hiring is ended (docked/undocked; public/non-public locations).
Practitioners should also note the repeated use of “for hire by the general public” and “otherwise”. This indicates that the exemption contemplates both public-facing hire and other arrangements, but only within the defined booking-facilitation framework and with the ride occurring wholly or partly in a public place.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is concise and functions as a targeted exemption instrument. It contains:
- Section 1 (Citation): provides the short title of the Order.
- Section 2 (Definitions): defines key terms, especially the categories of mobility devices and the umbrella term “vehicle”.
- Section 3 (Providing docked vehicle for hire): exempts qualifying docked-hire services from Sections 8 and 9 of the Act.
- Section 4 (Facilitating making and taking of bookings): exempts qualifying booking-facilitation services from Sections 8 and 9 of the Act.
Although the extract does not reproduce the full text of Sections 8 and 9 of the Act, the structure of the Order makes clear that it is designed to carve out specific activities from those particular provisions. In practice, lawyers should read the Order together with the Act to identify exactly what Sections 8 and 9 require (typically licensing/controls or related regulatory obligations) and then map the client’s business model to the exemption conditions.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to “a person” who, in the course of business, provides the relevant services described in Sections 3 and 4. This can include operators that directly provide vehicles for hire and, depending on the facts, intermediaries that facilitate bookings.
However, the exemption is conditional. It does not apply to every shared mobility enterprise. To qualify under Section 3, the service must involve providing docked bicycles, docked non-motorised personal mobility devices, or docked mobility vehicles, with hiring beginning from a docked state and ending with docking (in or at any place). To qualify under Section 4, the service must involve facilitating bookings for hiring vehicles under the specified docked/undocked and location rules, with the ride occurring wholly or partly in a public place.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it directly affects regulatory exposure. By stating that Sections 8 and 9 of the Act “do not apply” to qualifying services, it can determine whether a business must obtain licences or comply with particular control requirements under the Act. For shared mobility operators and platform providers, the exemption can be the difference between full regulatory compliance and a lighter compliance posture.
From a practitioner’s standpoint, the Order’s value lies in its operational specificity. The exemptions are drafted around real-world service mechanics: whether vehicles are docked or undocked at the time of hire, where vehicles are exposed, and where hiring ends. These are precisely the facts that often become contentious in enforcement or regulatory assessments. Lawyers advising clients should therefore focus on documenting how the service works in practice—especially docking/undocking workflows, user instructions, and the geographic/public-place aspects of ride and return.
Finally, the legislative history indicates that the Order has been amended and is now consolidated in a 2025 Revised Edition. Practitioners should ensure they rely on the correct version applicable to the relevant period and confirm whether any amendments affect the interpretation of docking categories, booking facilitation scope, or the defined device types.
Related Legislation
- Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Act 2020 (authorising Act; particularly Sections 8 and 9)
- Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Temporary Exemption) Order 2020 — SL 568/2020 (22 Jul 2020)
- Amendment: S 321/2021 (17 May 2021)
- Revised Edition: 2025 RevEd (2 June 2025)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) (Temporary Exemption) Order 2020 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.