A red Toyota Corolla 1.3, refurbished to resemble a Hong Kong taxi, was spotted in and around Singapore.

Photos of "Hong Kong taxi" in Singapore

Photos of the vehicle, which is a similar model as the original Hong Kong taxi, made the rounds online in August 2024.

The car sported the classic vehicle licence plates.

Modification works illegal

However, the modification works carried out on the vehicle are illegal.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) told Mothership it issued the vehicle owner a warning, and he has removed the taxi signs from the car.

LTA explained that under rule 126A(1) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules, a motor vehicle which is not a taxi must not install or display any signs suggesting that the motor vehicle is a taxi.

The rule restricts the use of words like "taxi", "cab", "for hire", as well as pictures which suggest the vehicle is available to pick up passengers along the road or from a taxi stand.

Sequence of events

On Aug. 14, an LTA enforcement notice was found tucked under the windscreen wiper of the car manufactured in 1982, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

Photos of the warning issued by LTA were originally shared online by Jack Yong, 29, the car owner.

LTA's warning said the car was a “private vehicle displaying a ‘taxi’ sign” and had to undergo an inspection at an authorised centre by noon on Aug. 17.

A video posted on Aug. 15 showed the letter “i” removed from the English word for taxi.

A Chinese character was also modified so the words still sound like "taxi" in Mandarin.

In another Facebook post on Aug. 17, Yong said he had driven the car three times on Aug. 5, 8, and 9 after it was refurbished, and before receiving the LTA enforcement notice.

The car was inspected on Aug. 15 and it passed the inspection.

History of car

Yong told ST he spent one year refurbishing the car only for it to become "meaningless" after the decal was modified.

He said he bought the second-hand car from a relative of its previous owner for a five-figure sum in April 2023.

The decals were applied to his car in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Yong told ST he is considering exporting it to Malaysia as a collectible.

He wants to keep some of the taxi-related props in the car and has submitted an appeal to the authorities to do so.

Penalties

Those who modify their vehicles to look like taxis could be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$5,000, or both on the first offence, LTA said.

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Top photos Jack Jagger via & Johnny Wong