LTA Impounds 4 M’sia Vehicles That Provide Illegal Transport Between S’pore & M’sia

Did you know that it’s illegal to provide hire-and-reward services without a valid Public Service Vehicle License (PSVL)? This includes those providing transport services between Singapore and Malaysia.

If you didn’t know, fret not. Goody Feed is here to ensure you’re not accidentally providing illegal transport services.

LTA Impounds Four Malaysian-Registered Vehicles for Providing Illegal Cross-Border Transport

On Wednesday (7 August), four Malaysian-registered vehicles were impounded by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for providing illegal transport between Singapore and Malaysia.

Under the Road Traffic Act in Singapore, drivers are not allowed to provide hire-and-reward services without the requisite Public Service Vehicle License (PSVL). In other words, if you don’t have a PVSL, you’re not allowed to be hired by a passenger to drive them to a certain place, in exchange for a sum of money.

This prohibition against unlicensed hire-and-reward services extends to cross-border carpooling services, so don’t think that you can get away with the law just because you’re off to Malaysia.

Those convicted of providing unlicensed hire-and-reward services can be fined up to $3,000, imprisoned for up to six months, or both. Your vehicle might even be impounded, which was precisely what happened in the present case.

The question is this — why exactly is the LTA so strict on the PSVL requirement?

The answer is rather simple. It’s to ensure the safety of passengers.

Say you’re a passenger in a vehicle that’s driving you without a valid PSVL — if you get into an accident while in such a vehicle, you might not be able to claim insurance. So, you’ll have to shoulder on your own any medical expenditure that you may incur.

In the grand scheme of things, the PSVL is for your good as a passenger lah. 

Alternative Cross-Border Transport Options for Passengers: Buses, KTMs, and Cross-Border Taxis

Har… But I really want to go to JB this weekend without having to squeeze on the bus or KTM leh. How?

Before you decide to try and get a Grab or private hire car from Singapore to JB, we recommend that you try booking a cross-border taxi to make your trip to JB instead — if you didn’t already know, private hire cars generally do not have the requisite licensing for cross-border transport services either.

Cross-border taxis are essentially taxis with the requisite licensing to provide cross-border passenger transport services lah.

And cross-border taxis aren’t as inconvenient as you think they are — there are several options available for you to book a cross-border taxi.

For one, you could head straight to the Ban San Street terminal in Bugis and board a taxi there to JB. Alternatively, you could also call the ComfortDelGro Taxi, Trans-Cab, Strides Taxi or Prime Taxi hotlines and ask for a cross-border taxi.

It’s that easy.

If you ever encounter drivers offering to drive you across the causeway without a valid PVSL, you can always make a report at 1800 2255 582, noting down the vehicle’s registration plate number, date, time, and a brief account of the incident.

Stay safe, everyone!