There ought to be a better system to regulate the bicycles of bike-sharing companies in Singapore.

One way is to require companies to build an interface which will allow government agencies to monitor bike locations.

New entrants could be made to build this interface before being allowed to put out their bikes.

In this way, agencies can track how long the companies wait before retrieving problem bicycles.

The government agencies will also be able to monitor any illegal dumping trends and use the data to better target and change user behaviour.

Bike companies should be prepared to give up this information, given that they will reveal commuting patterns and help city planners design more effective transport solutions for our city.

This requirement could also apply to any sharing economy commodity.

Daryl Tan