70% of illegal ride-hailing drivers in M'sia reportedly suspend cross-border services during National Day weekend, others cancel entirely

About 70 per cent of cross-border ride-hailing drivers in Malaysia have reportedly decided to suspend their services ahead of the National Day weekend, while some drivers have cancelled bookings for the week after National Day.

According to Malaysia media China Press, this comes after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore have ramped up enforcement measures to clamp down on illegal ride-hailing services to and from Malaysia.

Cancelling trips booked in advance

With such enforcement measures, many Malaysian cross-border drivers have started to notify their passengers that their bookings will be cancelled, despite many of them booking the services in advance, China Press reported.

One driver, Chen (transliteration), said with such severe penalties, many drivers do not want to take the risk.

Vehicles suspected to be carrying out illegal services in Singapore are impounded.

This led to an estimated 70 per cent of drivers stopping their services between Aug. 8 and 10.

Most severe clampdown

"Originally, there were many bookings for the Singapore National Day public holiday, but this recent enforcement operation has been the most severe yet. Many drivers now don't dare take the risk," Chen said.

LTA has warned against using illegal ride-hailing services as it puts passengers at risk.

And if the driver is caught during enforcement operations, it may disrupt their journey.

Those found guilty of providing illegal ride-hailing services may face up to S$3,000 in fines and/ or six months' jail.

The vehicles may also be forfeited.

Impact

Chen said many choose Malaysia's cross-border ride-hailing drivers as they are convenient, with flexible pick-up times and locations, and offer affordable prices, China Press reported.

In addition, Chen noted that the recent LTA crackdowns have a broader impact.

One example he gave was how costs for passengers would go up if they use Singapore-based fleet for cross-border travels, where each trip would start from S$200.

Currently, the costs for illegal cross-border rides are about S$150 to S$200, and are negotiable.

He added that if the issue escalates, there are two possible outcomes: Either the Malaysia and Singapore governments hold discussions, but the outcome might not be favourable, or the cross-border transport services may be consolidated under a specific platform, leading to varying rates based on time and demand.

Top photo via Professional PHV Drivers Singapore Facebook