SINGAPORE – Some 42 shared e-scooters found in public spaces here were impounded between July and October this year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) revealed on Tuesday (Nov 13).

The personal mobility devices (PMD) – comprising 26 from Neuron Mobility, 15 from Telepod and 1 from Beam – were found in areas such as Bencoolen Street and Bayfront Avenue,the LTA said.

This was in contravention of the Parking Places Act, which prohibits such devices from being offered for hire on public land without a licence or an exemption by the Transport Minister.

Under the act, unlicensed operators can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to six months, with a further fine of $500 for each day it continues to operate after conviction.

The LTA said exemptions have only been granted for operators such as Telepod to provide their services in the one-north business district, in light of an existing agreement with landowner JTC.

“These operators are strictly not allowed to provide PMD-sharing services at public places beyond the specified boundaries in one-north,” said the authority.

It noted that Beam did not have such an exemption to operate anywhere on the island, and that its e-scooter was found at the Bugis MRT station despite the firm having been given prior notice of regulatory requirements.

The LTA said it was “disappointed” that the three firms – all of which are based in Singapore – had deployed their PMDs illegally on public land, despite “repeated reminders and warnings” between July and October this year.

The authority added it is investigating Neuron Mobility and Telepod for providing PMD-sharing services at public places without a licence or exemption.

“LTA would like to remind all operators that when evaluating licence applications, LTA will consider their track record, including their compliance with the law and regulatory requirements,” it said.

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