Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to implement a series of regulatory and operational enhancements to refresh cross-border taxi and bus travel, following discussions between the two countries’ transport ministers at the 12th Singapore–Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat. The upgrades will be led by Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), with initial measures focusing on enforcement, service accessibility, and fleet expansion.
Key changes to the Cross-Border Taxi Scheme include the introduction of a regulatory framework for cross-border ride-hailing platforms, expanded drop-off rights across both countries, and a gradual increase in designated pick-up points for foreign taxis. Licensed taxis will be required to install Singapore’s ERP2 on-board unit, adopt clearer vehicle identification standards, and comply with enhanced insurance coverage requirements. Both governments also agreed to expand the quota of licensed cross-border taxis from 200 to 500 units per side, starting with an initial increase of 100 units prioritised for larger and premium vehicles.
For cross-border bus services, Singapore and Malaysia will work toward aligning their regulatory regimes to enable a wider range of tourism-oriented and intercity services beyond Johor Bahru. The reforms form part of broader efforts to improve cross-border mobility along one of the world’s busiest land transport corridors, alongside major initiatives such as the Johor–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
