14 caught for giving illegal rides between Singapore and Malaysia

Fourteen drivers have been caught by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in an operation from Aug 27 to Aug 29 at Changi Airport for providing illegal chauffeur services.

In a Facebook post by LTA on Aug 30, it said the drivers were providing rides illegally between Singapore and Malaysia, as well as within Singapore. Their foreign-registered vehicles were also seized.

Earlier on Aug 7, the agency also caught four drivers for providing illegal cross-border rides between Singapore and Malaysia, and seized their Malaysia-registered vehicles.

The latest action brings the total number of drivers caught for providing illegal cross-border services since 2022 to 32, an LTA spokesperson told The Straits Times.

Checks by ST on Aug 8 found that several Facebook pages, Telegram groups, websites and more than 20 listings on e-commerce platform Carousell were offering cross-border chauffeur services targeting travellers from Singapore.

One website with a Malaysian phone number offered a ride from Singapore to Mount Austin in Johor Bahru in a multi-purpose vehicle at a starting fee of $100.

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There was no mention of insurance coverage or the required licence to operate cross-border services on the website.

The National Private Hire Vehicles Association said on Facebook on Aug 30 that it has been working with LTA on the crackdown and is “seeing positive steps” in tackling Malaysian point-to-point services offered by illegal drivers at the airport.

Urging the public not to use these services, LTA said they not only break the law, but also put one’s safety at risk. The vehicles involved may lack adequate insurance coverage, the agency added.

Those who are caught providing illegal hire-and-reward services, including cross-border trips without a valid public service vehicle licence, can be fined up to $3,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. The vehicles used may also be forfeited.