Parliament gave the nod yesterday to a new law that will give the authorities powers to regulate private-hire vehicle operators. They will come under a licensing regime from next June.
Two types of operating licences will be issued - one for ride-hailing operators such as Grab and Gojek and the other for street-hail operators like taxi companies.
Operators with at least 800 vehicles must apply for a licence.
At the debate on the Point-to-Point Passenger Transport Industry Bill, MPs raised concerns about commuter safety and the minimum age of private-hire drivers, among other things.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Janil Puthucheary said Singapore has about 20,000 taxis and 45,000 private-hire cars.
More than two-thirds of all point-to-point commutes are made via ride-hailing apps, with the rest being street-hails.
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