Singapore has stepped up its crackdown on illegal rides between Singapore and Malaysia, catching another 16 drivers.
In an update on 21 July 2026, the Land Transport Authority said the drivers were caught during recent enforcement operations at Singapore’s land checkpoints and in the downtown area.
All 16 vehicles were impounded.
LTA said the operations followed regular tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association.
What Makes an SG-JB Ride Illegal?
Paying someone to drive you from Singapore to Johor Bahru is not automatically illegal.
The important question is whether the vehicle and driver are properly licensed to provide a paid cross-border service.
Under Singapore’s current rules, cross-border point-to-point services between Singapore and Malaysia can only be provided by licensed Singapore-registered or Malaysia-registered taxis.
Ordinary private-hire cars are not allowed to provide paid cross-border services. This applies even when the driver is licensed to operate as a private-hire driver within Singapore or Malaysia.
The booking method does not change this. An unlicensed ride does not become legal just because it was arranged through WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook or a professional-looking website.
A luxury MPV with captain seats is still not a taxi licence.
Drivers caught providing illegal ride-hailing services may be fined up to S$3,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. Their vehicles may also be forfeited.
Why Passengers Should Care About the Driver’s Licence
The crackdown is not only about protecting the business of licensed taxi drivers.
LTA has warned that unlicensed vehicles may not have appropriate insurance coverage for carrying paying passengers across the border.
A normal private motor insurance policy may not cover the vehicle when it is used to transport passengers for payment.
This could leave passengers with limited recourse if they are injured or suffer losses in an accident.
In one case reported in 2025, a Malaysian driver was caught carrying five paying passengers from Mersing to Singapore. Although his car had a motor insurance policy, the policy did not cover the vehicle when it was used for hire or reward.
LTA has been conducting repeated enforcement operations since July 2025. As of 22 June 2026, the authority had checked more than 5,000 vehicles as part of the crackdown.
Legal SG-JB Rides Can Now Be Booked Through Grab
There are now more convenient legal alternatives than before.
Singapore and Malaysia expanded their Cross-Border Taxi Scheme from 4 May 2026. Under the enhanced arrangement, licensed cross-border taxis can offer more flexible pick-up and drop-off locations.
Grab is currently the licensed platform through which passengers can book cross-border taxis.
However, this does not mean an ordinary Grab private-hire car can drive passengers across the border for payment. The cross-border service must be completed by a taxi licensed under the scheme.
Licensed cross-border taxis should have a rooftop taxi sign and a “Cross-Border Taxi” identification decal. Singapore taxis have licence plates beginning with “SH”, while Malaysian taxis have plates beginning with “H”.
You can watch this video for more information:
Where Legal Cross-Border Taxis Can Take You
A licensed Singapore-registered cross-border taxi can pick passengers up anywhere in Singapore.
It can then drop them off anywhere within Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai or Senai.
For trips travelling towards Singapore, licensed Malaysia-registered taxis can pick passengers up anywhere in Malaysia and drop them off anywhere in Singapore.
Pick-ups by a foreign taxi remain restricted when the taxi is operating outside its home country.
Singapore taxis can pick passengers up in Malaysia at Larkin Sentral, Toppen Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Southkey Mall and Angsana Mall.
Malaysia taxis can pick passengers up in Singapore at Ban San Street Terminal and designated locations near VivoCity, Century Square and Joo Koon MRT station.
Passengers who encounter someone offering a suspicious cross-border ride can report the service through LTA’s online illegal ride-hailing reporting form.
