askST: What are my options when taking a taxi to and from Johor under the new scheme?

SINGAPORE – It has become more convenient for passengers to take a cross-border taxi from Singapore to Johor and back under a slew of changes that apply from May 4.

These include allowing licensed Singapore- and Malaysia-registered taxis to let passengers alight anywhere in Singapore and in some areas within Johor when they cross the border.

Six-seater taxis have also been included in the service and the number of taxis allowed to provide cross-border services will gradually be increased to a total of 500 from each country, up from the current 200 taxis.

The changes were made to provide safe and reliable cross-border transport for commuters, as well as to protect the livelihoods of taxi drivers against illegal domestic point-to-point services, said the transport ministries of the two countries in a joint statement on April 30.

Where can you board a cross-border taxi?

From Singapore: Passengers can get on a Singapore-registered cross-border taxi from anywhere in Singapore if they book via a phone call, website or app.

Grab is currently the only ride-hailing platform licensed to offer advance cross-border taxi bookings on an app.

For advance bookings made with the Grab app that originate from VivoCity in HarbourFront, Century Square in Tampines, or Joo Koon MRT station, passengers can be assigned a Singapore- or Malaysia-registered cross-border taxi.

ComfortDelGro, which operates the Comfort and CityCab fleets, requires passengers to use its telephone booking service for cross-border taxi rides.

Strides Premier uses an online booking form for its advance booking service to Johor Bahru.

Apart from advance bookings of any kind, one can also go to Ban San Street Terminal near Bugis MRT station to take a Singapore- or Malaysia-registered cross-border taxi – this is unchanged from before.

From Johor Bahru: Passengers can use the Grab app to book a Singapore-registered cross-border taxi to Singapore from Toppen Shopping Centre, The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, or Angsana Johor Bahru Mall. These are areas frequented by Singaporeans.

Malaysia-registered cross-border taxis can pick up passengers from anywhere in Johor Bahru.

Passengers can also go to Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru to take a Singapore- or Malaysia-registered cross-border taxi.

Where in Johor and Singapore can a licensed cross-border taxi take you?

In Johor: Licensed cross-border taxis from both countries can now take passengers to any destination within five areas – Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai.

In Singapore: Anywhere.

Previously, licensed cross-border taxis could allow passengers to alight anywhere in their home country and only one designated taxi stand in the other country. This meant a Singapore taxi could drop off passengers only at Larkin Sentral Terminal, about 7km from the Johor Bahru Checkpoint, while a Malaysian taxi had to go to Ban San Street Terminal in Bugis.

What are the vehicle options and how much do they cost?

Two types of six-seater taxis have been added to the existing standard four-seater vehicles used for the cross-border taxi scheme.

For rides that start at Ban San Street Terminal and Larkin Sentral Terminal, the fares are fixed according to the type of taxis used.

In a standard four-seater taxi, a trip into Johor Bahru that starts from Ban San to anywhere up to 35km of Larkin costs $80. An additional $20 is charged for locations beyond this distance, but within the five areas in Malaysia. This is up from the current $60 charge to get from Ban San Street Terminal to Larkin Sentral Terminal.

From Ban San Street, the fare of a six-seater cross-border taxi like a Toyota Sienta and Noah is $120, while premium six-seaters like the Toyota Alphard cost $180. Six-seaters charge an extra $30 for destinations in Johor Bahru that are farther than 35km from Larkin.

A trip from Johor Bahru’s Larkin to anywhere in Singapore up to 35km from Ban San Street Terminal costs RM240 (S$77) in a four-seater taxi, up from RM120 before. An additional RM60 is charged if the destination is more than 35km away from Ban San Street.

From Larkin, it costs RM360 to use a standard six-seater for a ride to Singapore, while a premium six-seater costs RM540. The additional charge for six-seaters is RM90 if the destination is more than 35km away from Ban San Street.

Fares for advance bookings on the Grab app are subject to factors such as the time of day and distance of the trip, according to Grab’s website.

How can you tell a licensed cross-border taxi from others?

Licensed taxis from both countries are indicated with a “Cross-Border Taxi” sticker on each side of the vehicle.

Taxi operators in Singapore – Comfort, CityCab, GrabCab, Prime, Strides Premier and Trans-Cab – all have vehicles licensed to offer the cross-border taxi service.

Malaysian cross-border taxis have to be fitted with the on-board unit for Singapore’s next-generation Electronic Road Pricing system.

Private-hire cars are still not allowed to take paying passengers across the border under the enhanced scheme.

How to book a cross-border taxi on Grab app?

A booking for a cross-border taxi service using the Grab app must be made at least 12 hours before departure time, up to seven days in advance. The feature is under the “SG-JB (Beta)” tile in the transport section of the app.

Cancellations made at least an hour before the scheduled pickup time will be free. Otherwise, the full fare will be charged. If the passenger does not have his passport during the ride and is unable to cross the border, the driver will end the trip at the checkpoint and the full fare will still be charged.

If the driver cancels within an hour of the scheduled ride, Grab will give a $30 or RM100 GrabGift voucher as compensation as there will be no replacement ride.

The fares are charged in the currency of the pickup point and only cashless payments are accepted.