7 drivers caught providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services, vehicles impounded

A total of 254 cars have been impounded since July 2025, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling.

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08 Oct 2026 08:42PM (Updated: 08 Oct 2026 08:43PM)

SINGAPORE: Seven drivers were caught providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services during recent enforcement operations at Singapore's land checkpoints, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (Oct 8).

All their vehicles were impounded, LTA added.

LTA said it caught the drivers after acting on regular tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association.

More than 5,400 vehicles have been checked since July 2025, with 254 cars impounded, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said in a separate Facebook post on Thursday evening.

"We remain committed to taking firm enforcement actions against illegal cross-border service providers as such services undermine passenger safety and affect the livelihoods of our local point-to-point transport drivers," she said.

Drivers caught providing illegal ride-hailing services may be fined up to S$3,000 (US$2,300), or jailed for up to six months, or both. Their vehicles may also be forfeited.

Members of the public can report suspected illegal cross-border ride-hailing activities through LTA's online reporting portal.

LTA urged travellers to use only licensed cross-border transport services.

Passengers travelling from Singapore to Malaysia can book a licensed cross-border ride-hailing service on Grab or take a Singapore-registered cross-border taxi from anywhere in Singapore to approved areas in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai, it added.

Under enhancements to the cross-border taxi scheme that took effect on May 4, Malaysian taxis can drop off passengers anywhere in Singapore but can pick them up only at designated locations here.

Singapore taxis can similarly drop off passengers anywhere within the approved areas in Johor, but pick-ups there are restricted to designated locations.

Taxis can continue to pick up passengers without restrictions in their home country.

Grab is currently the only ride-hailing platform that travellers can use to book licensed cross-border taxis.

Licensed taxis will have a "Cross-Border Taxi" livery affixed on both sides as well as specific licence plate prefixes - "H" for Malaysian vehicles and "SH" for Singaporean vehicles.

They are also required to have taxi topper signage when operating in the other country.