Singapore, Malaysia to expand cross-border taxi quota to 500 each, add two ride-hailing operators from Nov 16

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia will increase the quota of licensed cross-border taxis from 300 to 500 per country from Nov 16, as part of efforts to improve connectivity.

Two additional ride-hailing operators, Singapore-based CDG Zig and Malaysia's Kumpool, will also be licensed to operate under the enhanced Cross-Border Taxi Scheme from the same date.

The two operators will join GrabCar, bringing the total number of licensed ride-hailing and e-hailing operators under the scheme to three.

The changes were announced in a joint statement on Friday (Nov 6) by Singapore's Ministry of Transport and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport.

With the expanded quota, the scheme will be able to accommodate up to 1,000 licensed cross-border taxis from both countries, compared with the current combined quota of 600.

“Commuters and drivers can look forward to more options for cross-border point-to-point trips, greater convenience and a better commuting experience,” the ministries said.

The latest expansion follows a series of enhancements introduced in May to facilitate smoother cross-border journeys and ensure fairer operating conditions for transport providers and drivers in both countries.

These included additional designated pick-up points for ride-hailing bookings, more flexible drop-off arrangements and measures to strengthen enforcement against illegal domestic point-to-point trips.

Under the enhanced scheme, passengers can be dropped off at any location in Singapore and within designated operating boundaries covering Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai.

Pick-ups in the foreign country remain restricted to designated points, but more locations will be available. 

According to the ministries, commuters who have used the enhanced services responded positively to the flexibility of point-to-point drop-offs.

The ministries said officials from Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Malaysia's Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) have continued working closely to identify further improvements to cross-border taxi services.

"The increase in quota is an important step towards strengthening cross-border connectivity between Singapore and Malaysia, and reflects the strong and longstanding cooperation between our two countries," said LTA chief executive Ng Lang

"By expanding the availability of licensed cross-border services, we are giving travellers more options and greater flexibility for their journeys."

APAD director-general Ahmad Radhi Ma'arof welcomed the expansion.

"This shows a significant milestone in enhancing the cross-border passenger movement to complement the first-mile-last-mile connectivity between Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Singapore," he said.

Both transport ministries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cross-border connectivity, saying the latest improvements would support the close business relationships and people-to-people ties between Singapore and Malaysia.