KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Malaysia and Singapore will gradually increase the quota for licensed cross-border taxis to 500 from each country, up from the existing 200, to meet the demand for more convenient cross-border transport services, according to the Transport Ministries of both countries.
This is subject to the effective implementation of safeguards against illegal domestic trips and insurance requirements.
“As a start, each country will provide an additional quota of 100, prioritised for larger and more premium vehicles that can address the needs of larger groups and business travellers,” they said in a joint statement today.
These are among the areas that the Transport Ministers have agreed for Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) to continue discussing, particularly enhancements to the Cross-Border Taxi Scheme.
This follows the meeting between Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow yesterday, as part of the 12th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in Singapore, to discuss ongoing efforts to strengthen transport links between the two countries.
In addition, foreign taxis may drop off passengers anywhere outside their home country but may only pick up passengers at designated pick-up points.
“We will gradually increase the number of pick-up points for ride-hail or e-hailing app bookings,” the ministries said.
To support enforcement against illegal domestic point-to-point trips, licensed taxis must be clearly identifiable by livery, a tamper-proof vehicle plate with a predefined prefix and topper. They must also install Singapore’s ERP2 on-board unit to enter Singapore.
Both countries also agreed to work towards a regulatory regime for cross-border ride-hail and e-hailing platforms, to improve insurance coverage for cross-border taxis, and to speed up claims processing in the event of an accident.
Meanwhile, Loke and Siow have tasked APAD and LTA to align regulatory regimes to enhance cross-border bus services for tourism.
“These enhancements and principles agreed to by both Ministers reflect our continued commitment to improving cross-border connectivity and the commuting experience for travellers between Singapore and Malaysia,” it said.
