Singapore and Malaysia have announced new improvements to their cross-border taxi arrangements aimed at making travel between the two countries more convenient. Under the updated agreement, licensed cross-border taxis will be allowed to drop off passengers anywhere in the destination country, rather than being restricted to fixed terminals as under existing plans. At the same time, the licensed taxi quota will gradually increase from 200 to 500 per country, with an additional 100 taxis per country in the first phase, with priority given to large or high-end vehicles suitable for families, groups or business travelers.
The changes come in response to growing commuter demand and widespread criticism that existing plans fail to meet travellers’ needs. Previously, cross-border taxis could only pick up and drop off passengers at one designated terminal – Ban San Street in Singapore or Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru. Many potential users abandon the legal option because it is too inconvenient, especially compared to unlicensed ride-hailing services that provide door-to-door transportation.
In addition to expanding drop-off flexibility and fleet size, authorities plan to increase the number of pick-up points in both countries (possibly allowing licensed taxis to be booked through ride-hailing apps) and improve safety through clearer taxi identification, tamper-resistant license plates and better insurance coverage.
The goals of these reforms are twofold: to better meet commuters’ needs for convenient, reliable cross-border transportation—especially families and older travelers—and to curb the proliferation of illegal, unlicensed cross-border taxi services that have proliferated in recent years.
However, with these new reforms, concerns remain about the sustainability of the scheme, according to reports.
So, we want to know – what’s currently holding you back the most from using official cross-border taxis?
Related:
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8 drivers were caught conducting illegal cross-border ride-hailing services and their vehicles were impounded: LTA