Singapore requires ‘geofencing’ for all bike-sharing operators in the city by the end of this year

Singapore has directed all dockless bike-sharing service providers in the city state to modify their mobile apps and adopt “geofencing”, a system designed to address the problem of illegally parked and misplaced bicycles.

Regulator the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has made geofencing a mandatory feature for bike-sharing services by the end of this year, while also requiring providers to apply for a licence before July 7 to continue operations in the city, according to a report by Chinese language Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.

Geofencing is powered by Global Positioning System (GPS) and radio frequency identification technology (RFID) to enable bike-sharing users to park in designated areas in Singapore. RFID is widely used to track luggage at airports, allowing consumers to receive updates via relevant apps.

Users need to scan the “parking QR code” at these areas with the bike-sharing app on their smartphone so they can park their rides in these areas, according to Lianhe Zaobao.

Beijing-based bike-sharing start-ups Mobike and Ofo operate in Singapore in competition with local provider oBike, which was first in the market to introduce geofencing in October last year.