No Green Light Yet For Cross-Border Ride-Hailing Between SG, JB.

The idea of booking a ride-hailing car to cross between Singapore and Johor Bahru may sound convenient but for now, it remains just that an idea.

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) confirmed over the weekend that it has no plans to open the floodgates for cross-border e-hailing services, despite a recent proposal floated by Johor’s Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

In a Facebook post, Onn Hafiz revealed that the topic had come up during his meeting with Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on August 1. He described the concept as a potential game-changer that could ease congestion, boost local driver income, and offer commuters more flexible travel options.

“This service could reduce traffic pressure on major roads while improving public transport connectivity between our two countries,” he wrote.

However, in a statement released on Sunday, the LTA said it is open to exploring ideas that could enhance the cross-border travel experience, but clarified that there are currently no plans to fully liberalise point-to-point transport via ride-hailing services.

Instead, the agency is turning its attention to enhancing the current cross-border taxi scheme, a long-running setup that allows up to 200 licensed taxis from each side to carry passengers across the causeway.

“For now, those rides are limited to fixed points where Singapore taxis can only drop off at Larkin Sentral in Johor, while Malaysian taxis use Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore,” it says.

Interestingly, LTA noted that the scheme isn’t even operating at full capacity.

To make it more user-friendly, they are exploring updates including the possibility of using ride-hailing apps to book cross-border taxi rides and expanding pick-up and drop-off points.

“Any changes will need to be agreed on by both sides,” the LTA added, stressing that any move forward must balance commuter needs with fairness for Singapore’s taxi and private hire drivers.