SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will later this month propose changes to the law for a licensing framework that targets both bike-sharing operators and cyclists, in a move to curb illegal bicycle parking.

The proposed framework will require operators to remove improperly parked bicycles on public land within a stipulated time period, and penalise users who park indiscriminately, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min on Monday (Feb 5).

Dr Lam told Parliament that operators will have to adopt schemes that disincentivise users who park bicycles indiscriminately.

This could involve high-accuracy geo-fencing, he said, sharing the scope of the framework for the first time. More details will be announced when ready, he added.

Geo-fencing technology creates a virtual boundary that sends out an alert when a bike enters or leaves an area and is meant to end indiscriminate parking.

Dr Lam said more than 2,100 removal notices and $180,000 of fines and administrative fees have been meted out against bicycle-sharing firms since LTA began enforcement last May.

Firms are fined between $100 and $500 for failing to remove these bicycles.

A total of 341 bicycles have been impounded so far.

Five MPs spoke on the issue of illegal bicycle parking, including Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten), who asked if the Government would take action against users who dump shared bicycles.

"If we fine litterbugs for throwing cigarette butts, why shouldn't we fine bicycle users for throwing their bicycles on the roadside of expressways, flyovers, drains? Surely these are worse litterers," said Mr Lim.

"They create such an eyesore for members of the public, so the entire public is put to inconvenience because of the indiscriminate littering of bicycles by some inconsiderate users."

Replying, Dr Lam said: "We do want the bicycle-sharing operators to impose some form of disincentive with regards to the renting out of the bicycles."

Currently, the Street Works Act already includes fines of up to $2,000 against cyclists who obstruct and inconvenience others with improper parking on public streets.

However, there are challenges, Dr Lam said.

It is difficult to catch users in the act of parking bicycles indiscriminately, he noted, and no riders have been caught or penalised so far under this Act.

The operators, town councils and government agencies, including LTA, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last October which set out guidelines against indiscriminate bicycle parking.

These included removing improperly parked bicycles within half a day and implementing geo-fencing technologies by the end of 2017.

Workers' Party MP Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) pointed out that many bike-sharing operators are unable to remove illegally parked bicycles within the timeframe stated in the MOU, and asked if the LTA would look at requiring operators to intensify their efforts on this front.

"The bicycle-sharing operators are not performing to the desired outcomes that LTA would want them to (under the MOU)," Dr Lam said, adding that this was why a licensing framework would be rolled out.

Meanwhile, he spelt out how the authorities are addressing the issue - including providing more parking spaces, educating cyclists on proper parking behaviour, shaping cyclists' behaviour through technology, and stepping up enforcement.

Another 50,000 bicycle parking spaces will be installed by 2020, adding to the 174,000 spaces available today, he said.

Dr Lam also defended bicycle sharing, which he said may have brought about "interim inconveniences and disamenities" but also has many benefits.

The scheme enables first- and last-mile connectivity and could reduce vehicle emissions if people rely on them more than cars, he noted.

He added: "There are also health benefits to cycling and we can also reduce (traffic) congestion and fuel consumption. And more importantly, it complements our vision of a car-lite society."