Singapore and Malaysia enhanced the cross-border taxi scheme from Sunday, 4 May 2026. The practical change for travellers is that licensed cross-border taxis now have a wider set of drop-off options, but foreign-country pickups are still controlled rather than fully open.
Official source snapshot
In the joint 30 April 2026 statement by Singapore's Ministry of Transport and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport, the two governments said the enhancement would take effect from 4 May 2026 to improve convenience for travellers while keeping competition fair for drivers and operators.
What Changed from 4 May 2026
Before this change, many travellers mentally treated cross-border taxis as a more terminal-based option. The new arrangement is broader:
- Licensed taxis can now drop off anywhere in Singapore.
- Licensed taxis can also drop off anywhere in these Malaysia areas: Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai, and Senai.
- Pickups in the foreign country remain restricted, rather than becoming fully open-ended.
That makes cross-border taxis more useful for travellers who do not want to be limited to only a narrow terminal-to-terminal trip.
Where Cross-Border Taxis Can Now Go
| Country | Drop-off Position from 4 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Singapore | Anywhere in Singapore |
| Malaysia | Anywhere in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai, and Senai |
For many SG-JB travellers, that matters most if your destination is not just JB Sentral or Larkin. It creates a more direct option for some hotel, airport, business-park, and western-Johor trips where bus transfers are inconvenient.
How Pickups Still Work
The scheme is more flexible on drop-offs than on foreign-country pickups. The joint statement says:
- Taxis may pick up passengers freely in their home country, as before.
- In the foreign country, taxis may only pick up passengers from three designated pick-up points via ride-hail or e-hailing bookings.
- Street-hail and ride-hail continue at Ban San Street Terminal and Larkin Terminal under the existing practice.
Practical takeaway
If you are trying to book a return trip from the foreign country, do not assume you can board anywhere on demand. Check whether your pick-up point is one of the designated locations used under the updated scheme.
Who This Helps Most
- Families with luggage or children: fewer transfer steps than bus or rail.
- Airport or western Johor travellers: the broader Malaysia drop-off zone is more relevant than a JB city-centre-only trip.
- Travellers crossing at awkward hours: taxis can be a useful fallback when bus timing is weak or when you want a door-to-door option.
This does not automatically make taxis the best option for every commuter. For many solo trips to central JB, the bus dashboard or the future RTS can still be more cost-efficient.
What Travellers Should Not Assume
- Do not assume this is a fully deregulated pickup market. Foreign-country pickups are still controlled through designated points and booking rules.
- Do not assume every platform or operator is automatically eligible. The official statement says commuters should refer to LTA and APAD websites for the current list of cross-border platform operators.
- Do not assume taxi choice removes checkpoint timing risk. You still need a strong Woodlands-versus-Tuas decision and an awareness of holiday windows.
If you are planning a current trip, pair this update with our complete JB traffic guide and the Woodlands vs Tuas benchmark so you can separate transport mode choice from checkpoint timing.
