SINGAPORE: E-scooter sharing operators Telepod and Neuron Mobility are set to be charged in court for providing services at public places without a licence or exemption, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a news release on Thursday (Feb 21).
The charges will be brought against Telepod on Thursday and Neuron Mobility at a later date.
LTA said it has impounded 68 personal mobility devices (PMDs) from Telepod and 131 from Neuron Mobility as of Feb 14. The devices were impounded as they had been illegally made available for hire at public places, LTA said.
READ: LTA impounds PMDs from Neuron Mobility, Telepod and Beam
Telepod had been given repeated written warnings before the devices were impounded, LTA said.
Investigations into Neuron Mobility have been completed, and the company will be charged at a later date, the authority said.
Telepod e-scooters impounded at Outram Road on Nov 23, 2018. (Photo: LTA)
Neuron’s e-scooters impounded at Battery Road, outside Raffles Place MRT on Nov 8, 2018. (Photo: LTA)
Under the Parking Places Act, unlicensed operators convicted of providing device-sharing services at public places can be fined up to S$10,000 and/or be jailed for up to six months. If they continue providing the service illegally after the conviction, they can be fined a further S$500 per day or part of a day.
Telepod and Neuron Mobility were among the first shared e-scooter players in Singapore when they launched in 2017.
Neuron’s e-scooters impounded at Bencoolen Street on Oct 10, 2018. (Photo: LTA)
Telepod and Neuron’s e-scooters impounded at Esplanade Drive on Feb 7, 2019. (Photo: LTA)
They are also among 10 operators who confirmed with Channel NewsAsia ahead of the Feb 11 deadline their intention to apply for a licence.
“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,” the authority said in its press release on Thursday.
In November, LTA said that it had impounded 42 PMDs from operators including Telepod and Neuron Mobility, after they were found available for hire without a licence at Bencoolen Street and Bayfront Avenue.
