KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia and Singapore will gradually raise the quota for licensed cross-border taxis to 500 from each country, up from the current 200, in response to growing demand for more efficient cross-border transport services, as confirmed by the Transport Ministries of both nations.
This increase will be contingent on the successful implementation of safeguards to prevent illegal domestic trips and meet insurance requirements.
“As a start, each country will provide an additional quota of 100, prioritised for larger and more premium vehicles that can accommodate larger groups and business travellers,” the ministries said in a joint statement on Friday.
The decision follows discussions between Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow, held on Thursday as part of the 12th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in Singapore. The meeting focused on strengthening transport links between the two nations.
In addition to the quota increase, foreign taxis will be permitted to drop off passengers anywhere outside their home country, but they will only be allowed to pick up passengers at designated points.
“We will gradually increase the number of pick-up points for ride-hail or e-hailing app bookings,” the statement added.
To curb illegal domestic trips, licensed taxis must be easily identifiable by their livery, tamper-proof vehicle plates with a predefined prefix and topper, and be fitted with Singapore’s ERP2 on-board unit for entry into Singapore.
Both governments also agreed to work on a regulatory framework for cross-border ride-hailing and e-hailing platforms, as well as improving insurance coverage and speeding up claims processing for cross-border taxi services.
Furthermore, both ministers have tasked their agencies, Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), to align regulatory regimes to improve cross-border bus services for tourism.
“These enhancements and principles agreed upon by both Ministers reflect our ongoing commitment to enhancing cross-border connectivity and the commuting experience for travellers between Singapore and Malaysia,” the statement concluded. – December 5, 2025