SINGAPORE - Fourteen companies have applied to operate personal mobility device (PMD) sharing services under the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) device-sharing licence.

The application period for the licence, which opened early January, closed on Monday (Feb 11).

The 14 firms vying for the LTA licence include existing players, such as local start-ups Neuron Mobility and Telepod, as well as United States-based Lime, currently valued at US$2 billion (S$2.7 billion).

There are also new contenders, such as Omni Sharing, which is now the majority shareholder in failed bike-sharing firm oBike, and US firm Helbiz.

Two existing bike-sharing operators - local firm Anywheel and China-based Mobike - have also applied for the licence.

The LTA said it will adopt a "conservative approach in setting the fleet sizes for PMD-sharing operators, to allow the dockless device-sharing landscape to grow in a responsible and sustainable manner".

Two firms - Moov Mobility and Ywise Circle - have also applied to operate shared bikes under the LTA's bicycle-sharing sandbox licence.

Mobike, whose bike fleet is currently capped at 25,000, has applied to expand its fleet size.

Separately, Anywheel - whose bike fleet size is capped at 1,000 under the sandbox licence - has applied for a full licence, which would allow it to operate more bicycles here.

"In assessing the applications, LTA will consider, among other factors, the ability and track record of licensees and operators in managing their fleets efficiently and minimising indiscriminate parking, as well as user demand and the availability of parking spaces," said the authority.

The application results will be announced in the second quarter of this year.