Singapore Maintains Current Cross-Border Transport Rules with Malaysia
Singapore's LTA maintains existing cross-border taxi scheme with Malaysia while exploring strategic improvements. No immediate plans for full ride-hailing liberalization between the countries.
Singapore-Malaysia Causeway checkpoint with taxis and buses crossing between the two countries
Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has clarified its position on cross-border transportation with Malaysia, maintaining the existing reciprocal taxi scheme while remaining open to strategic improvements in the commuter experience, much like Singapore's approach to hosting international events with structured frameworks.
Current Cross-Border Framework
The LTA's announcement comes following an August 1 meeting between Singapore and Malaysian officials, where they discussed cross-border service arrangements. The authority explicitly stated it has no immediate plans to fully liberalize cross-border point-to-point transport via ride-hailing services.
"While we are open to ideas to improve the cross-border commuting experience, we would like to clarify that LTA has no plans to fully liberalise cross-border point-to-point transport via ride-hail services," LTA stated in their official Facebook communication.
Existing Transport Framework
The current Cross Border Taxi Scheme (CBTS) allows for:
- Up to 200 licensed taxis from each country
- Designated pickup and drop-off points:
- Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru (for Singapore taxis)
- Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore (for Malaysian taxis)
Potential Improvements Under Consideration
Similar to how Singapore efficiently manages international partnerships, the LTA is exploring several enhancements to the current system:
- Increasing boarding and alighting points in both countries
- Integration of ride-hailing apps for cross-border taxi bookings
- Optimization of the existing CBTS quota utilization
Early Morning Bus Service Considerations
The Malaysian authorities have requested for Singapore's cross-border buses to begin operations from Johor Bahru at 4 am. This proposal is under assessment, with timing precision being crucial to align with Singapore's local bus and MRT service schedules.
Wei-Ling Tan
Tech and economy specialist, covering innovation in Southeast Asia from Singapore for both English-language and regional media outlets.