Cross-border taxis allowed drop-offs anywhere in Singapore, Johor Bahru from May 4
Passengers can also alight anywhere in Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai, but foreign taxis can only do pick-ups at designated points.
Cross-border taxi drivers wait for passengers at Larkin Sentral on Dec 5, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Travellers between Singapore and Malaysia will enjoy greater flexibility from May 4, with cross-border taxis allowed to drop off passengers anywhere in Singapore and across several parts of Johor, including Johor Bahru.
The move is part of enhancements to the Cross-Border Taxi Scheme jointly announced by the transport ministries of both countries on Thursday (Apr 30).
Under the new rules, licensed taxis can drop off passengers anywhere in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai.
In Singapore, the first cross-border ride-hail service licence has been awarded to GrabCar, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced separately. The licence will be valid for three years, starting from Apr 30.
This means GrabCar will be able to operate cross-border taxi services through its ride-hail platform.
While these licensed taxis can continue to pick up passengers without restrictions in their home country, pick-ups in the foreign country will be restricted to three new designated pick-up points via ride-hail or e-hailing bookings.
In addition to the existing pick-up points at Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore and Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru, the new pick-up locations are:
- Near VivoCity (Singapore)
- Near Century Square (Singapore)
- Joo Koon (Singapore)
- Toppen Shopping Centre (Malaysia)
- Mid Valley Southkey Mall (Malaysia)
- Angsana Mall (Malaysia)
Each country will also be providing an additional quota of 100 taxis, bringing the new total to 300 taxis from each side.
The additional quota will be used for larger and more premium vehicles - including standard four-seater, standard six-seater and premium six-seater vehicles - to meet the needs of larger families and groups, as well as business travellers.
The aim is to gradually increase the quota to 500 from each country, said the transport ministries.
The fares for street-hail rides from Ban San Street Terminal will be S$80 for a standard four-seater, S$120 for a standard six-seater and S$180 for a premium six-seater.
The fares for street-hail rides from Larkin Terminal will be RM240 for a standard four-seater, RM360 for a standard six-seater, and RM540 for a premium six-seater.
Additional charges apply for journeys above 35km.
Licensed taxis must be clearly identifiable - through their livery, a predefined licence plate prefix and taxi rooftop signage - to support enforcement against illegal domestic point-to-point trips.
Taxis must also install a device, as required by the foreign country, to enable enforcement when entering that country. This means Malaysia taxis have to install Singapore’s ERP2 on-board unit to enter Singapore.
The vehicles must not be more than 10 years old.
To enter the foreign country, a taxi must carry at least one passenger, except during the exemption periods - 12pm to 12am on Fridays for Malaysia taxis into Singapore, and 12pm to 12am on Sundays for Singapore taxis into Malaysia.
In response to CNA queries, LTA said Grab was the only operator to date that had applied for the cross-border ride-hail service licence.
"GrabCar demonstrated they could meet the enhanced standards required for cross-border operations," it added.
The transport authority said it found Grab's application for the licence "satisfactory" in terms of its ability to comply with LTA's regulations.
"We also assessed their ability to implement the necessary safeguards for cross-border transport operations, including proper vehicle identification to prevent illegal local point-to-point trips and compliance with insurance requirements that provide coverage across both countries," it said.
"Other interested operators are welcome to apply," LTA added.
The transport authority said it works with taxi operators, driver associations and its Malaysian counterpart APAD to ensure cross-border taxi drivers are briefed on the requirements before they are permitted to carry out such trips.
"Cross-border taxi drivers who fail to meet the applicable regulatory standards will have their public service vehicle licence revoked," it said.
Currently, cross-border taxis are allowed to drop off passengers only at designated points - Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru for Singapore taxis and Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore for Malaysian taxis.
This regulated standard has existed for years. But the lack of a door-to-door option limits convenience, prompting illegal operators to fill the gap and disrupt the earnings of licensed taxi drivers.
In December, the transport ministries of Singapore and Malaysia announced new rules that would allow licensed foreign taxis to drop off passengers anywhere in their home country.
However, they can only pick up passengers at designated points to prevent them from providing local point-to-point services, the ministries said at the time, without specifying when the changes would take effect.
“We are pleased to announce these enhancements to the Cross-Border Taxi Scheme, which will provide greater convenience and better connectivity for travellers between Singapore and Malaysia,” the chief executive of Singapore’s Land Transport Authority Ng Lang said on Thursday.
The director general of Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency Ahmad Radhi Maarof said that the country hopes to deepen this collaboration by looking into more ways to ease the flow of travellers.
“The movement of people across the Causeway is a vital thread in the fabric of our bilateral relationship, and we are determined to make that experience as smooth and convenient as possible,” he said.
