Bike-sharing operator HelloRide has received a written warning after a representative approached its only licensed competitor in Singapore to propose pricing discussions.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) announced the warning on Monday (17 August), following complaints from rival operator Anywheel.
However, CCS found that HelloRide did not breach the Competition Act because Anywheel declined to take part and no actual pricing talks occurred.
HelloRide Approached Anywheel Twice in 2025
According to CCS, a key HelloRide representative contacted someone from Anywheel in July and October 2025.
On both occasions, the HelloRide representative proposed that the two companies discuss pricing.
Anywheel did not engage further and reported each approach to the watchdog.
CCS subsequently investigated whether the conduct had breached Section 34 of the Competition Act.
That provision prohibits agreements and coordinated practices that prevent, restrict or distort competition in Singapore.
No Sensitive Information Was Exchanged
The regulator found that HelloRide’s communications did not include commercially sensitive information. As Anywheel rejected the approaches, no actual discussion about prices took place either.
CCS therefore concluded that HelloRide had not infringed the law under the specific circumstances of this case.
Nevertheless, it stressed that it did not condone the company’s conduct and issued a warning letter.
HelloRide and Anywheel are currently Singapore’s only two licensed shared-bicycle operators. Both provide short-term bicycle rentals through mobile apps.
This limited field was one reason the proposed conversations concerned the watchdog.
CCS said that any pricing discussions or coordination between the pair would probably have a direct and significant effect on competition and consumers in the bike-sharing market.
HelloRide Says Shared-Bicycle Prices Were Not the Intended Topic
HelloRide welcomed the finding that it had not breached the Competition Act.
The company said its outreach was intended to cover Singapore’s broader public-transport landscape and pricing environment, including the place of shared bicycles within that system.
It denied intending to discuss or coordinate the prices charged by the two bike-sharing operators.
HelloRide added that the other party had interpreted the outreach differently, but maintained that shared-bicycle pricing was neither its intention nor something that was eventually discussed.
Businesses Must Set Prices Independently
CCS chief executive Alvin Koh praised Anywheel for declining the invitations and alerting the regulator.
He said companies must make their own decisions about how they behave in the market, adding that CCS would act against businesses found to have engaged in anti-competitive conduct.
The watchdog advised businesses approached about anti-competitive exchanges to reject the invitation immediately, publicly distance themselves from the proposed discussion and report it to CCS.
