Four drivers have been fined for providing illegal chauffeured services using vehicles from Malaysia. Three of the cars have also been forfeited.
According to a Land Transport Authority (LTA) statement yesterday, each driver was convicted of using an unlicensed public service vehicle, and driving a vehicle without valid insurance. They were each fined $1,400 and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for 12 months.
LTA said three of the four vehicles used were forfeited, while the decision over the fourth vehicle is still pending.
In all the cases, investigations revealed that the drivers had ferried passengers from Singapore to Johor Baru for an agreed fare.
Last year, LTA caught 13 drivers using unlicensed foreign-registered vehicles to provide chauffeured services. Enforcement operations were conducted at visitor hot spots such as Changi Airport, HarbourFront Centre and East Coast Seafood Centre, the authority said.
LTA urged members of the public against engaging chauffeured services provided by persons using unlicensed vehicles, as these vehicles might not be sufficiently insured. Passengers may not be covered if they are involved in a traffic accident while travelling in such vehicles, the authority added.
LTA group director of traffic and road operations Chandrasekar Palanisamy said: "Our enforcement officers have cracked down on these unlicensed public service vehicles to protect our commuters and our drivers.
"We work closely with various agencies to obtain information and investigate these incidents. LTA views these infringements seriously, and we are committed to taking severe action against offenders."
Under the Road Traffic Act, all vehicles, including foreign-registered ones, are not allowed to provide taxi or chauffeured services in Singapore without a valid Public Service Vehicle Licence.
Any person caught using a vehicle that is not issued with the licence to provide taxi or chauffeured services shall be prosecuted, LTA said.
Those convicted face a fine of up to $3,000, or a jail term not exceeding six months, or both. The vehicle used may also be forfeited.
