LTA catches 4 drivers for providing illegal rides within Singapore and across border

Four drivers were nabbed by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday (Feb 11) for illegally providing ride-hailing services within Singapore, and to/from Malaysia.

In a Facebook post, LTA said the drivers' foreign-registered vehicles have been impounded.

A video accompanying the post showed several Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) being towed away from housing estates.

LTA reminded the public to avoid using illegal ride-hailing services, which do not have proper licencing and insurance. This poses "serious risks" to passengers when accidents happen.

"We will continue to take action against drivers who provide illegal hire-and-reward services, including cross-border trips without a valid Public Service Vehicle Licence (PSLV)," said the authority.

Offenders may face a fine of up to $3,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both. Their vehicles may also be forfeited.

Responding to a forum letter published in the Straits Times in September 2024, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and LTA said that there are no plans to allow foreign private-hire cars to provide cross-border services in Singapore.

In addition to safety considerations, they stated that the illegal services by foreign drivers adversely impact the livelihoods of local taxi and private hire car drivers because of differences in operating costs and fare structures.

"This is why fares for the licensed cross-border taxi services are fixed and transparent, so that taxis from both Malaysia and Singapore are on a level playing field," they explained.

"To prevent foreign taxis from providing illegal point-to-point services outside their home country, these cross-border taxis can pick up and drop off passengers only at designated landing points outside their home country."

MOT and LTA added that they will continue to carry out enforcement actions and impose stringent penalties against such illegal services.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com