LTA restricts foreign taxis to designated pick-up points

Only Singapore-registered taxis can pick up passengers anywhere under the new rules.

Singapore is working on measures to address cost and competition concerns raised by local taxi and private hire drivers, following new cross-border ride-hailing arrangements with Malaysia.

One measure is to allow only local taxis to pick up passengers from any point in their home country, whilst foreign taxis can only pick up passengers from designated pick-up points, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said in response to a parliamentary question.

Siow said that whilst it is not feasible to equalise operating costs between drivers in both countries, the authorities are taking steps to make cross-border trips more viable for Singapore taxi drivers.

“Over time, we plan to increase the number of ride-hail pick-up points to include more frequented locations,” he added.

The Land Transport Authority will also continue to enforce against illegal point-to-point transport services. Licensed cross-border taxis entering Singapore must install the country’s ‘Electronic Road Pricing 2.0’ on-board unit.

Moreover, they must also be clearly identifiable by livery, a tamper-proof vehicle plate with a predefined prefix and a taxi topper.

On concerns about fuel subsidies, Siow said that it is a matter for the Malaysian authorities to consider.

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