The Singaporean Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority are discussing with Malaysia to loosen restrictions on the cross-border taxi scheme, including allowing Malaysian taxis to drop off passengers anywhere in Singapore rather than at designated spots, and Singaporean taxis to do likewise in Johor Baru.
00:00Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take questions 1 and 2 in today's order paper together, please?
00:07Go ahead.
00:09The LTA has been conducting enforcement operations against illegal point-to-point services.
00:15Since July this year, the LTA has impounded 107 vehicles whose drivers were caught providing illegal services.
00:23We recognise that there is demand from commuters for more convenient cross-border point-to-point services.
00:31The MOT and LTA have been exploring options to enhance the existing arrangements.
00:37For instance, under the cross-border taxi scheme, we are discussing with Malaysia possible options to liberalise the scheme,
00:46including to allow Malaysian cross-border taxis to drop off passengers anywhere in Singapore and Singaporean taxis to do likewise in Johor Bahru.
00:56This will provide greater convenience to commuters from both countries.
01:01To minimise foreign taxis cruising around empty and potentially carrying out illegal trips,
01:17these foreign taxis would only be allowed to pick up passengers at designated points
01:22so that they do not infringe into the local point-to-point market.
01:25However, for the convenience of commuters, we will identify more pick-up points in both Johor Bahru and Singapore.
01:34We will discuss options with the Malaysian authorities on a reciprocal basis.
01:39We will continue to engage the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association to take in their suggestions.
01:48We are also exploring using location tracking, including ERP 2.0 and other measures to prevent illegal trips by cross-border taxis within Singapore.
01:59The LTA will continue its enforcement efforts even after enhancements to the existing arrangements are being rolled out.
02:08Mr Wolling.
02:09Mr Wolling.
02:20Thank you Speaker.
02:21I declare that I am the advisor to the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association.
02:27Given the deep social and economic ties between Singapore and Malaysia,
02:42our drivers have expressed through the associations that they are excited that their calls to review and update the current cross-border taxi scheme are being looked into.
02:50Ensuring that the scheme remains relevant as consumption patterns change is critical as this is a livelihood stream for 200 of our Singapore cross-border drivers.
03:01With the program being updated and noted with SMS response, with the increasing demands for point-to-point drop-offs,
03:10how will the Ministry use technology such as online booking platforms and in-vehicle tracking units
03:16ensure that there is fair competition between Singapore licensed and Malaysian licensed vehicles,
03:22noting that there are fair and exchange rate differences?
03:25How also, and more importantly, will the Ministry look to expanding the scheme to allow our drivers broader earning opportunities?
03:36Mr Masoon.
03:42I thank the member for her supplementary questions.
03:44Indeed, there is a lot of unmet demand from commuters who would like to travel more frequently across the border.
03:53So we have families with children, families with the elderly, families who want to visit relatives in Johor Bahru,
04:00they want to do their shopping trips, they want to go on short holidays.
04:03So it is under these conditions that we are looking at how to enhance the current cross-border taxi scheme.
04:09The member had some questions with regards to the use of technology.
04:14We see that some of our taxi operators have already rolled out online booking forms,
04:20phone calls as well, to facilitate doorstep pick-up in Singapore.
04:24At the same time, I have shared that we can make use of the installation of the OBU,
04:30especially on foreign taxis, in order to enhance location tracking.
04:33Not to forget our platform operators, the right-hill platform operators,
04:39also have technology platforms that they can use to enhance location tracking.
04:44So these are ways in which we can ensure that foreign vehicles are not conducting illegal point-to-point trips in Singapore.
04:52The second question she had was with regards to fares.
04:55When it comes to fares, we will have discussions with the National Taxi Association
05:02as well as the National Private Hire Vehicles Association
05:05to understand what are the reasonable fares that we should be looking at
05:10to enhance cross-border trips.
05:13We know that there are cost disparities between the cost of operating as well as driving
05:19in Singapore versus Johor Bahru,
05:21so we will take these into consideration when setting fares.
05:23Mr Hang Weh Nung.
05:25Mr Hang Weh Nung.
05:31Thank you Speaker.
05:32Thank you to SMS Sun for the comprehensive reply.
05:35But before I go on, let me declare,
05:37I am the CEO of Stripes Premier,
05:39a company that provides cross-border taxi service as well.
05:42I have a few subliminal questions.
05:45First of all,
05:46what is the plan that you have,
05:48that the MTA have to expand the fleet of a 200 cross-border taxi to more
05:56and whether they will allow the application by the taxi driver on a money basis
06:01rather than restricted to once a year?
06:03Secondly,
06:04what is the plan to expand this cross-border service to private hire car?
06:08Because private hire car's pricings are quite dynamic.
06:13And as you pointed out by SMS Sun,
06:16the operating cost of driving P2P vehicles in Johor Bahru is a small fraction of what is the cost in Singapore.
06:26So how would MOT consider measures to prevent undercutting of fare in this matter?
06:36And thirdly,
06:38when SMS say that they want to increase the number of drop-off points in Malaysia and Singapore,
06:44currently there is only one drop-off point,
06:46and one drop-off in Malaysia and JB is lacking as in Singapore,
06:49there is one drop-off point.
06:50How many drop-off points is MOT thinking of having?
06:53Is it 5, is it 10 or is it 20?
06:56Thank you very much.
06:59I thank the Member for his supplementary questions.
07:06There have been several discussions between Singapore's Ministry of Transport
07:12as well as the Malaysia's Ministry of Transport and our part.
07:17Amongst the discussion points that we have include a higher quota of taxis for each country,
07:23the introduction of larger MPV taxi models and the use of ride-hailing apps to make bookings.
07:29The member had a second question with regards to private hire vehicles.
07:34This I would approach cautiously because we have been having discussions with our local National Private Hire Vehicles Association.
07:43They are conscious that if we should liberalise the CBTS too widely
07:51and not have a separate scheme for PHVs,
07:55there could be a situation where private PHVs could end up providing illegal point-to-point services in Singapore.
08:03So I think what is important to note is that any vehicle, especially those who are foreign, that operate in Singapore,
08:09they need to have the necessary decals, the necessary livery,
08:13so that it is very clear that they are part of a licence scheme that has been negotiated between both countries
08:21and not individuals owning private hire vehicles conducting illegal point-to-point trips.
08:27Sorry, you had a third question, the member. Yes. Could I ask you to repeat that again?
08:33Yes, thank you SMS. My third question is that we know the cost of operating a taxi in Malaysia
08:41is a small fraction of what is the cost of operating a taxi in Singapore.
08:44So how could, when you increase the freight size and also liberalise the cross-border taxi services,
08:51how could it ensure that parties will not undercut the fare?
08:57Thank you. I had shared in my main reply that part of the discussions that we are having with the Malaysian authorities
09:05is to allow Singapore as well as Malaysian vehicles to drop off at any point in Singapore and in Johor Bahru,
09:14because this is a demand, this is a need that has been expressed by commuters.
09:22But that said, it is very important that we enforce effectively,
09:26and that is why I have emphasised the need for us to have the installation of the OBU,
09:32for instance, for the purposes of location tracking,
09:35and also discussing with platform operators to use their technology platforms to track where the vehicles are going.
09:44Ms Hieu.
09:46Keep it short.
09:49Thank you Speaker.
09:51I know that SMS had in her reply talked about working with Right Hill platforms,
09:56and I also have reports of Right Hill platforms from across the border being set up introducing cross-border taxi services.
10:03How will the LTA or how will the MOT be working with these overseas registered apps
10:09to ensure that there is parity and fairness when it comes to offering such rights in Singapore as well as in Malaysia?
10:16Ms Hieu.
10:21I thank the member for her supplementary question.
10:23Such apps have to be recognised by both Singapore and Malaysia.
10:28So where we are aware that there are apps that are being used to provide cross-border services,
10:34but has actually not been endorsed by our local authorities beforehand,
10:38we will investigate.
10:40Because I think we cannot allow the proliferation of apps that have not been discussed between both authorities before.
10:47This is to ensure that there will not be illegal point-to-point trips being conducted by such apps.
10:54Mr Aung, keep it short as well.
10:58Mr Aung, I have asked the question, how could you prevent undercutting of fare?
11:03Because the cost of operating a taxi in Malaysia is only a fraction of what is the cost of operating a taxi in Singapore.
11:11Mr Aung, thank the member for his question.
11:17As part of the review of the cross-border taxi scheme, we will be consulting our associations to ensure that fares are reasonable to our passengers,
11:26while providing assurance to Singaporean drivers that cross-border trips are viable given their operational costs.
11:33I think what the member is concerned about is actually rights that are illegal.
11:39And the fares of these illegal rights are actually undercutting the fares and the services that are being provided by legal provision of such services.
11:49So, for such illegal provision of services where fares are undercutting the fares that are pre-negotiated between both countries' authorities,
12:00we will enforce in a strict manner against such illegal providers of services.
12:07The last ask you, Associate Professor James Slim.
12:10Keep it short.
12:15Thank you, Speaker.
12:17If I may build on the question by Ms Yeo earlier on, I have also received feedback from residents engaged in PHV services
12:23that these illegal right-hailing services are offered not just via unauthorised apps but also via chat groups.
12:32I am wondering, my first question is whether the Ministry has a sense of the pervasiveness of such illegal services being offered via chat groups as well as apps.
12:42And secondly, if the Ministry has a plan to crack down on such means of securing services, for example, using a secret shopper or methodologies of this nature.
12:54Mr. Ms Sun.
12:55I thank the member for his question.
13:00Under Singapore's laws, the government can order the takedown of content linked to illegal activities.
13:06And non-compliance can lead to further enforcement actions like blocking access or app removal.
13:12So this is with regards to illegal chat groups that promote the provision of illegal point-to-point services.
13:19The MOT and LTA are also looking to obtain further legal powers to ensure that online platforms comply with the LTA's removal request for illegal point-to-point services should the platforms remain unresponsive.
13:32At the same time, the LTA has also been conducting operations to infiltrate into these chat groups and to take action against providers of such illegal services.
13:46Unfortunately, for operational reasons, I can't share more details, but rest assured that the LTA is aware of the situation.
13:53Huh.
13:54Iosed.
13:55Okay.
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13:58Same time.
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