Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that it has no plans to fully liberalise Singapore-Malaysia cross-border point-to-point via ride-hail services.
LTA informed Mothership that Singapore and Malaysian officials had met to discuss cross-border service arrangements on Aug. 1.
Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffery Siow was present at the meeting, alongside the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Johor, Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Onn Hafiz talked about the meeting
Hafiz talked about the meeting in a Facebook post on Aug. 1, stating that though the main focus of the discussions was the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link train between Singapore and Johor Bahru (JB), they had also touched on cross-border service arrangements between the two countries.
He said that he had proposed coordinating the operating hours, as well as increasing the number of cross-border buses to reduce congestion and ensure smoother traffic flow in the mornings.
He also suggested a cross-border ride-hailing service initiative between JB and Singapore as a new approach to facilitate movement.
Hafiz stated that this would allow for more flexible travelling options and could potentially reduce congestion on major routes, while also becoming a possible revenue stream for local drivers.
Cross Border Taxi Scheme (CBTS)
LTA said in an official statement on Aug. 3 that though the issue of allowing cross-border ride-hailing to ferry passengers was raised during the meeting, no decision was made.
They clarified that though they remain open to ideas on improving the cross-border travelling experience, LTA has"no plan to fully liberalise cross-border point-to-point transport via ride-hail services."
LTA stated that there is currently a reciprocal Cross Border Taxi Scheme (CBTS) in place that allows a licensed fleet of up to 200 taxis from each side to ferry passengers between Singapore and JB.
Existing quota not fully utilised
The taxis under the scheme are allowed to pick up and drop off passengers only at a single designated point in each country — Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore and Larkin Sentral in JB.
LTA noted that the existing quota of the CBTS is not fully utilised and that they will be encouraging full take up of the quota of the licensed taxis.
They are also planning to increase the number of boarding and alighting points in both countries, as well as the option to use ride-hailing apps to book cross-border trips on the licensed taxis.
LTA stated that their key priorities when it comes to the cross-border point-to-point regime is to safeguard the interests of their taxi and private hire drivers. while ensuring commuter demands are met.
"As CBTS is a reciprocal arrangement, any change will require agreement from both governments."
Cross-border bus services
During the meeting, Malaysian officials had requested for Singapore's cross-border buses to start their operations from Johor Bahru at 4am.
LTA stated that they are currently in the midst of assessing whether the operating times of the services can be adjusted to prevent overcrowding on buses during morning peak hours.
"A key consideration is that the first buses should match the starting time of our local bus and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) services when they arrive in Singapore", said LTA.
They are also liaising with cross-border bus operators to discuss the possibility of bringing forward the bus start times slightly, as well as engaging private bus operators to determine their interest to operate earlier services at higher fares.
Johor assemblyman previously proposed"mutually beneficial" mechanism
Johor state assemblyman Andrew Chen previously called for the governments of both countries to adopt a common mechanism to regulate cross-border ride-hailing services.
He expressed his concerns in a Facebook post, stating that the increase in enforcement efforts to crack down on illegal chauffeur services, which has left"many Malaysian drivers frustrated and struggling".
He proposed a"mutually beneficial" mechanism to regulate and legalise cross-border charter services:
- Drivers must hold a Malaysian Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence or Singaporean Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL)
- Drivers must pass an annual health check
- Vehicles must undergo periodic inspections at certified vehicle inspection centres
- Passengers must be covered by accident insurance
