Malaysian Taxis Face S$15 Per Trip to Enter Singapore from 2027

Only Malaysia-registered taxis holding a Public Service Vehicle Licence and an ASEAN Public Service Vehicle Permit may run legal cross-border routes. The LTA said it chose a per-trip charge over a higher monthly fee because it better tracks actual usage and lets operators pass on costs cleanly if they choose. It does not set cross-border fares, the regulator added, leaving any surcharge decision to operators themselves.

The S$15 fee is part of a wider overhaul. Starting May 4, cross-border taxis can drop passengers anywhere in Singapore and across Johor rather than only at fixed terminals. Pick-up points expanded on both sides. Fares increased: a four-seater run from Ban San Street Terminal in Bugis to Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru now costs S$80, up from S$60. The return leg within 35 km is RM240 (about S$75), up from RM120, The Straits Times reported. The quota of licensed cross-border taxis each side may run will rise from 200 to 500.

Mohd Suhaimi Saidi, who chairs the Johor Bahru-Singapore Cross-Border Taxi Association in Malaysia, called the S$15 fee manageable since drivers rarely make more than one Singapore run a day. He had hoped for a smaller increase, he said.

Much of the rework targets illegal operators. The LTA said it would keep acting against unlicensed point-to-point services, warning such cars lack proper insurance and leave passengers with no recourse after a crash.