Malaysia, Singapore to Increase Cross-Border Taxi Quota From 200 to 500
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Singapore have agreed on several key enhancements to strengthen cross-border land transport links via taxi and bus services following a meeting between Transport Minister Anthony Loke and his counterpart Jeffrey Siow during a meeting held in conjunction with the 12th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat on Thursday.
Both ministers said it included raising the quota of licensed cross-border taxis from the current 200 to 500 for each country in phases, subject to the effective implementation of safeguards against illegal domestic trips and compliance with 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 issued Friday.
They also agreed to allow foreign taxis to drop off passengers anywhere outside their home country, while pick-ups will remain limited to designated points - which will be increased gradually - to prevent domestic point-to-point operations.
To support enforcement against illegal domestic point-to-point trips, licensed taxis must be clearly identifiable by livery, tamper-proof vehicle plates with predefined prefixes and toppers, and will also be required to install Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing (ERP2) on-board unit for entry into Singapore.
“To improve the convenience and efficiency of arranging cross-border rides for both passengers and drivers, both countries will work towards a regulatory regime for cross-border ride-hail and e-hailing platforms,” they said, while Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) will work towards aligning regulatory regimes to enhance cross-border bus services for tourism.
Insurance coverage and expedite claim processing in the event of accidents, to better protect passengers and other road users, will also be enhanced in both countries.
The ministers pointed out that the enhancements and principles agreed upon reflect their continued commitment to improving cross-border connectivity and the commuting experience for travellers between Singapore and Malaysia.
“Officials from both countries will maintain close engagement and work expeditiously towards concluding an agreement and implementing the enhancements to cross-border taxi and bus services,” they added.
-- BERNAMA
