Taxi drivers, operators welcome enhanced cross-border taxi scheme but some still cautious
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From May 4, licenced cross-border service taxis will be able to drop off passengers anywhere in Johor Bahru and Singapore.
PHOTO: ST FILE
- New cross-border taxi rules allow flexible Singapore/Johor Bahru drop-offs, add Grab pickup points, and increase licences by 100, enhancing passenger convenience.
- Drivers like Eddie Jui seek income from cross-border trips ($100 to JB), with Malaysian drivers ready for minimum RM240 fares, though some worry about competition.
- Singapore taxi companies like ComfortDelGro welcome enhancements, with many readying six-seater taxis and planning to increase services based on demand and licence allocations.
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SINGAPORE/JOHOR – Taxi driver Eddie Jui is looking forward to crossing the Woodlands Checkpoint with paying passengers soon, as providing cross-border taxi services will help supplement his income.
A trip to Johor Bahru will net him up to $100, while a return trip will earn him up to RM300 (S$96.70).
The 49-year-old GrabCab driver hopes that doing so will help make up for the low demand for taxi rides in Singapore, especially at night, when there are fewer local trips.
“I will try it out a few times to see if there is enough demand to make doing cross-border services worth the time,” said Mr Jui.
Considering it a change in scenery from the familiar Singapore roads, Mr Jiu said the drives across the border may also be a chance to fill up his petrol-hybrid taxi in Malaysia.
He applied for the licence for cross-border taxi services around February, and is awaiting approval from the authorities.
In an announcement on April 30, the transport ministries of Singapore and Malaysia said that travellers will be able to be dropped off anywhere in Singapore and parts of Johor from May 4, instead of limiting foreign taxis to only one designated drop-off point on each side.
In addition to allocating three more pick-up points in each country for those using Grab, six-seater taxis have also been added to the service.
The fares for the services are fixed, with the lowest being $80 for a standard four-seater taxi from Ban San Street Terminal in Bugis to any destination within 35km of Larkin Sentral Terminal.
The total number of cross-border taxi licences will also be increased by 100, from the current quota of 200 in each country.
Across the border, Malaysian taxi drivers whom The Straits Times spoke to were enthusiastic about being able to drop off passengers anywhere in Singapore, with many already outfitting their cars with on-board units for the next-generation ERP system – a requirement to enter the country.
Some said they were looking forward to the minimum fare of RM240, which would cover the cost of petrol and time spent waiting in traffic jams.
Mr Mohd Suhaimi Saidi, chairman of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Cross-Border Taxi Association, said the 100 additional cars allowed under the quota will all be larger ones, adding that Malaysian drivers are ready to begin ferrying passengers as soon as the new rules kick in.
Singapore taxi companies welcomed the enhancements to the scheme and will increase the number of taxis for the service if their hirers demand it and they are allocated the quota by the authorities.
Mr Michael Huang, ComfortDelGro’s head of Singapore point-to-point mobility business, said that the changes provide added assurance and convenience for cross-border taxi travel.
ComfortDelGro, which operates the Comfort and CityCab taxi fleets, has 145 drivers who have been licensed to provide the service. The operator also said that it has six-seater taxis ready for cross-border services from May 4.
Trans-Cab, which has the third-largest taxi fleet after Comfort and CityCab, currently has just eight taxis available for cross-border services. Its general manager Jasmine Tan said that the company will be keeping tabs on demand for the service before deciding whether to grow the cross-border fleet.
It is a view shared by Prime Group director Neo Chee Yong, who said that it is ultimately up to the drivers to decide whether they want to offer cross-border services.
Prime currently has around 30 taxis licensed to provide cross-border services, and Mr Neo said its taxi drivers have indicated significant interest in this in recent months.
Taxi operator Strides Premier said it will increase the number of drivers for the cross-border service when more licences are released.
One of its drivers, Mr Simon Wong, 62, who has been providing cross-border taxi services since 2018, said that the changes will definitely benefit passengers by making their journeys more convenient.
However, he has concerns about how the measures will actually pan out on the ground.
For one, he believes that allowing Malaysian taxis to drop off passengers anywhere in Singapore will mean fewer takers for his return trip to Singapore.
