Harbourfront, Joo Koon MRT among new pick-up points for cross-border taxis from May 4

[SINGAPORE] Commuters relying on cross-border transport will soon have dedicated hubs to hail foreign taxis for their return journeys, said Singapore and Malaysian transport ministries.

Starting from May 4, regulators will activate three new designated pick-up points in each country exclusively for foreign-registered cross-border taxis. The move, announced on Thursday (Apr 30), aims to capture ride-hailing demand while tightly managing where foreign operators can source passengers.

For Malaysia-registered taxis operating in Singapore, the new pick-up zones are located near VivoCity, near Century Square and Joo Koon. Conversely, Singapore-registered taxis in Malaysia will service pick-ups at Toppen Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Southkey Mall and Angsana Mall.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also awarded the first Cross-border Ride-hail Service Operator Licence (CRSOL) to GrabCar on Thursday. The licence will be valid for three years from Apr 30 this year.

Operators with CRSOL will be able to operate licensed cross-border taxi services through their ride-hail platforms under the enhanced scheme. They must also ensure that taxis on their platforms are easily identifiable by commuters, including having a prominent roof-top sign and a distinctive cross-border taxi identification decal.

While cross-border taxis already benefit from liberalised drop-off rules – passengers can alight anywhere in Singapore and across key Johor economic zones such as Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai – the new pick-up infrastructure addresses a longstanding friction point for return trips.

“These enhancements to the cross-border taxi scheme mark a significant step forward in strengthening the transport connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore,” said Ahmad Radhi bin Maarof, director-general of Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD).

Under the new framework, foreign-registered taxis are restricted to securing fares via ride-hail/e-hail bookings at the designated areas except for Ban San Street and Larkin, where street-hail and ride-hail will continue to be allowed.

Taxis are barred from waiting at these new pick-up points and must wait at designated holding areas until their next trip assignment.

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To service the anticipated demand at these hubs, both nations are adding 100 taxis to their respective cross-border fleets, raising the capacity from 200 to 300 vehicles per country.

This additional supply will be used for larger and more premium vehicles that address the needs of larger families and business travellers.

Regulators aim to eventually scale this quota to 500 vehicles from each side.

Revised fares

A trip from Singapore’s Ban San Street Terminal to Larkin is set at S$80 for a standard four-seater, S$120 for a standard six-seater, and S$180 for a premium six-seater.

The fare from Larkin to Ban San Street or within 35 kilometres is priced at RM240 for a standard four-seater, RM360 for a standard six-seater, and RM540 for a premium six-seater.

To support enforcement against illegal domestic point-to-point trips, licensed taxis must be clearly identifiable by livery, a pre-defined prefix for vehicle plate and taxi topper signage when operating in the foreign country.

Malaysian taxis will also be required to install Singapore’s ERP2 on-board unit for entry into the Republic. The vehicles cannot exceed 10 years of age.

Regulators are also maintaining bans on vacant carriage entries to maximise fleet efficiency. To enter the foreign country, taxis must carry at least one passenger, except during the exemption periods – 12pm to 12am on Fridays for Malaysia taxis entering Singapore, and 12pm to 12am on Sundays for Singapore taxis entering Malaysia.