Cross Border E Hailing Won T Fix Jb Singapore Travel Woes

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Cross-border mobility between Johor and Singapore requires both governments to work together, not piecemeal gestures that ignore the wider commuter base.
Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah’s recent call for the current ban on e-hailing rides from Johor Bahru to Singapore to be lifted has stirred public interest.
While it may sound like a simple, common-sense fix for commuters, the issue is far more complex.
This was not a unilateral ban imposed by Singapore — it is in fact a bilateral arrangement agreed to by both the Malaysian and Singapore governments.
Under the current framework, neither side allows e-hailing or private cars to provide chauffeured cross-border services.
Cross-border taxis 
Presently, only licensed taxis under a cross-border taxi scheme can operate.
However, they are restricted to one designated pick-up/drop-off point in each country — Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru for Singapore taxis, and Ban San Street in Singapore for Malaysian taxis.
That restriction has inevitably created gaps that illegal operators have been quick to exploit.
Malaysian drivers have been caught ferrying passengers into Singapore without proper licensing or insurance, poaching customers from near the official taxi stands.
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority recently stepped up enforcement, impounding several vehicles and issuing fines of S$3,000 (RM9,842) to offenders.
While enforcement is necessary, these crackdowns also highlight a fundamental truth: demand for more flexible and convenient cross-border transport options is outpacing the current system’s market demand and capacity.
Puah has proposed loosening the rules, for example, allowing e-hailing cars to drop passengers only at airports and ferry terminals, and limiting such rides to Malaysians or foreigners residing in Malaysia.
Bilateral agreement 
While these may sound like reasonable compromises, it cannot be implemented unilaterally.
Any changes must be negotiated within the existing Malaysia-Singapore agreement, otherwise they risk undermining the licensing system and exposing passengers to legal and insurance risks.
If anything, the bigger flaw in the current set-up is the narrowness of the pick-up and drop-off points, a system that operates like a rigid fixed rail or bus service — Larkin to Ban San Street, nothing more, nothing less, and no detours either.
That contrasts with the true characteristics of taxi services, which offer door-to-door journeys at premium fares for the convenience of passengers.
The limitation has resulted in the taxi quota — 200 licensed cabs on each side — being underutilised, not due to a lack of demand but because the system forces commuters to get their rides from a fixed departure point.
For those living on the western side of Johor Bahru, this often means travelling all the way to Larkin just to cross the Causeway by taxi.
Inadequate services
Importantly, the services are not available at the Tuas Second Link. Neither is there adequate bus coverage for its corridor, which runs from Nusajaya to Tuas in Singapore.
So, the most obvious issue here revolves around inadequate services.
The current services are confined to a single corridor, with taxis operating only between two fixed points — despite demand having expanded across a significantly wider area.
That means new corridors and linkages need to be established for the convenience of passengers.
Opening up the e-hailing may only benefit a small segment — mainly infrequent travellers and the well-off. It is unlikely to fix the daily reality for the thousands who commute to Singapore for work.
At S$60-S$80 (RM197-RM262) per trip, cross-border taxi and e-hailing fares are already prohibitive for most workers.
If the goal is to genuinely ease congestion and improve accessibility, the focus should be on:
 increasing bus capacity from both sides of the causewayadding more designated taxi pick-up/drop-off points under the existing bilateral scheme, andaddressing the service void at the second link.The real conversation we should be having is about capacity, infrastructure and service design — not quick fixes that only benefit a narrow group.
Cross-border mobility between Johor and Singapore is a shared challenge. It requires both governments to work together, not piecemeal gestures that ignore the wider commuter base. - FMT
The author can be reached at: [email protected]
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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