2 more ride hailing operators, Geolah & Trans-Cab, to start in S'pore from 2025

Two more ride-hailing operators, Geolah and Trans-Cab, have been granted provisional licenses by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), according to a press release on Dec. 23, 2024.

The one-year provisional licence, which starts on Jan. 1, 2025, will enable operators to fine-tune their operations to meet LTA’s regulatory standards before they are considered for a full Ride-hail Service Operator Licence (RSOL).

The five ride-hailing platforms that already exist, namely Grab, Ryde, Tada, Gojek and Zig, also had their licences to operate revalidated for three years.

Updates to licensing conditions

Licensing conditions have also been updated for all new licence applications and renewals.

For instance, ride-hail operators will be required to ensure that commuters can opt for a vehicle that can accommodate a folded wheelchair, or is equipped with a child seat.

Operators must also notify commuters if a matched vehicle cannot accommodate these needs, to allow commuters to cancel and rebook within the grace period if they had forgotten to indicate their requirements.

Drivers will be able to cancel a booking without incurring a penalty if commuters fail to indicate the need for wheelchair space or a child seat at the point of booking.

Taxi training

Vocational training for taxi drivers will also be streamlined, LTA said.

LTA will be streamlining the training curriculum for taxi drivers and lowering the course fees for the Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence (TDVL).

With a streamlined curriculum, the total training hours required to obtain a TDVL will be reduced.

The revisions will take effect from Feb. 24, 2025.

Top photo from Geolah & Trans-Cab