Malaysia-Singapore cross-border taxi drivers call for fare review and more pick-up points to ensure fair competition

JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysia and Singapore’s move to allow cross-border taxis to drop off passengers anywhere outside their home country is expected to boost driver earnings and improve service efficiency, but some drivers have called to review fare rates and add more pick-up points to ensure fair competition as they expect to cover longer distances to accommodate passengers.

Currently, a one-way trip from Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru to Ban San Terminal in Singapore costs RM120 (S$37.91), while a one-way trip from Singapore to Johor Bahru is about S$60.

According to Bernama, as taxi drivers are now expected to drop off passengers over longer distances, some Malaysian drivers said current fares should be reviewed to better reflect travel distance and ensure fairness for both drivers and passengers, while others called for clear guidelines to prevent confusion and ensure fair competition among drivers.

Singapore drivers, meanwhile, expect operating costs to rise due to Malaysia’s larger geographical area compared with Singapore. One driver from the city-state cited that driving a passenger from Singapore to Muar roughly takes two hours but would leave them without passengers on their ride home.

To address this, a driver from Bedok suggested adding more pick-up points and introducing a centralised booking system specifically for cross-border taxis, which would help drivers from both countries plan trips more efficiently, reduce waiting time, and ensure fair access to passengers.

Johor Bahru-Singapore Cross-Border Taxi Association chairman Mohd Suhaimi Saidi said the association would meet with the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) to discuss issues including fare coordination, adding that they hope for positive feedback from APAD and the government.

Earlier this month, both countries’ transport ministers met and announced plans to allow foreign taxis to soon drop off passengers anywhere outside their home country, instead of only at designated terminals.

Plans include implementing new pick-up points to support ride-hail and e-hailing bookings, alongside work on a formal regulatory framework for cross-border ride-hailing as demand grows. The quota of licensed cross-border taxis will also be gradually increased from 200 to 500 in the future. /TISG

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