Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a media release on Thursday (28 July) that a tender will be released by next week, to seek an operator to run a bicycle sharing scheme in the Jurong Lake District (JLD) by the end of 2017.
The scheme will be piloted at the Jurong Lake District (JLD) in end 2017, and will encompass over 1000 bicycles and 100 docking stations.
The scheme seeks to provide access for members of the public to a bicycle around the clock. They can pick up the bicycles at any self-service docking station and return it to a station within the system’s service area, LTA said.
The stations which will be spaced about 400m apart, will allow residents to make short trips from their homes to nearby MRT stations and bus interchanges, where they can return the bicycle and continue their journeys on public transport.
Residents can also cycle from their homes to key amenities, such as schools, shopping malls and markets within the estate or explore Jurong Lake Gardens, which is envisioned to be Singapore’s new national gardens in the heartlands.
LTA chief executive Chew Men Leong said: “This is the first public bicycle-sharing scheme that will be implemented on such a large scale in Singapore.”
“We believe this will catalyse take-up of cycling as it provides a convenient and healthy way to commute between homes, nearby amenities and the MRT stations.”
“Through the pilot, we will study the scheme’s feasibility and determine if and how it can be extended to other residential towns as well.”
This scheme is not new, hundreds of cities around the world have already implemented bicycle sharing schemes and even Singapore had tried a few but were either scrapped after a way after failing to meet target ridership or other logistic issues.
Operator to build, operate and maintain pilot bicycle-sharing scheme
LTA said the tender to appoint an operator will include own, build, operate and maintain the pilot bicycle-sharing scheme in JLD for eight years, with options to bid to operate a bicycle-sharing scheme in Marina Bay/City Centre and Tampines and also Pasir Ris.
To defray some of the costs involved in setting up and operating the bicycle-sharing pilot in JLD, LTA said they will provide a grant. The potential operators will bid for a fixed grant they need in each year of the contract.
Besides appointing an operator for the bicycle-sharing scheme, LTA will also call a tender to appoint a sponsorship consultant. LTA will work with the consultant to engage suitable sponsors, who will be entitled to naming and advertising rights to the bicycle-sharing system, similar to other bicycle-sharing systems in overseas cities such as Citibike in New York and Santander Cycle in London.
The Jurong Lake District was chosen as the first estate to implement the bicycle-sharing pilot as it is set to transform into a vibrant regional centre, which will also be redeveloped into Singapore’s second Central Business District. 
Artist impressions of proposed bicycle-sharing infrastructure in Jurong Lake District / image: LTA
LTA says that the Jurong Lake District will developed into a car-lite district supported by green and active mobility transport options such as walking and cycling and public transport.
When implemented, the bicycle-sharing scheme will provide the public with access to a bicycle – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – without having to own a bicycle.
LTA also said that besides being a convenient mode of transport, the bicycle-sharing scheme will provide an opportunity for more residents to try out cycling, which is healthier and a greener mode of transport.
The bicycle-sharing scheme is said to complement existing efforts to facilitate cycling and to improve first-and-last-mile connectivity to public transport nodes and key amenities. Under the National Cycling Plan, over 700 kilometres of cycling paths is targeted to be available for the general public island-wide by 2030.
Map of the docking stations within Jurong Lake District / image: LTA
Map of the docking stations within Marina Bay-City Centre / image: LTA
Map of the docking stations within Tampines-Pasir Ris / image: LTA