Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow responds to actor Hossan Leong on cross-border transport with M'sia

Singapore's Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow has shared that Singapore is currently discussing cross-border transport solutions with Malaysia that will serve the needs of commuters and taxi and PHV drivers.

However, this will take time as it will require agreement between both countries.

Siow's remarks were made as a comment on LinkedIn in response to a post made by local actor and comic Hossan Leong on Aug. 23 regarding the recent crackdown on cross-border ride-hailing service.

PHVs a vital cross-border transport option: Leong

In the post, Leong, who is based in Johor Bahru, opined about the impact of the crackdown on commuters such as himself and made four suggestions on what could be done, tagging Siow in the post.

He pointed out that "almost-daily" cross-border commute is a "necessity, not a choice" for professionals, such as himself, who are living across the causeway.

"Meetings, operations, and client engagements demand frequent travel," Leong wrote, especially given that Changi Airport is a key hub.

This was a delicate system, but the recent enforcement has "severely disrupted" it.

He shared that PHV services were a "vital option" for those who do not own private vehicles or prefer a more "flexible, safe and efficient" mode of transport. Those who depended on such services now faced uncertainty.

The existing terminal-to-terminal taxi service is not practical and did not serve the majority of the commuters, on top being "out-of-date", Leong further opined.

Apart from disruption to business travel, there have been increased stress for families with young ones or seniors, loss of productivity and greater risk of unsafe or illegal alternatives, he added.

Hossan Leong's suggestions

Leong added that he understood the issues surrounding current PHV usage, and subsequently proposed four solutions.

He called for:

• The introduction on a regulated permit system for cross-border ride-hailing services
• Dedicated cross-border transport lanes at the Causeway
• Collaborative platforms between the two countries to better integrate PHV regulation and operations
• Stakeholder consultations to develop long-term solutions

In his call for "practical solutions", Leong characterised the matter as an economic and social issue, apart from being a transport issue.

Discussions will take time: Siow

In his reply, Siow thanked Leong for his feedback and acknowledged that there was an "unmet need".

"We are discussing with the Malaysians how to do something that is legitimate and serves the interests of both Singaporean commuters like you, as well as our taxi and PHV drivers," Siow shared.

However, Siow added a disclaimer that this will take time as any agreement has to be mutually agreed between both countries and comply with laws on both sides.

The transport minister said updates on the progress will be provided.

Siow's reply was met with thanks from Leong.

Last week, Malaysia's transport minister Anthony Loke told its parliament that Malaysia is ready to discuss cross-border ride-hailing solutions with Singapore while echoing the point that consensus has to be reached on both sides for any solution to work.

Loke shared that the topic was previously broached by Malaysia with Singapore, but it was not taken up at the time.

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Top image via Hossan Leong / Facebook, Jeffrey Siow / Facebook