S'pore drivers take photos & videos of suspected illegal M'sia ride-hailing vehicles to submit to LTA

Taxi and private-hire vehicle drivers in Singapore are taking matters into their own hands.

Some are personally documenting with their mobile phones the motorists and their vehicles believed to be offering illegal ride-hailing services, many of which are from Malaysia.

Photos and videos of illegal services have been taken around Singapore and submitted to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for follow-up action.

Taking photos and videos

A local private-hire vehicle driver, Wen, told Shin Min Daily News that on Aug. 16 at 11pm, he suspected that a vehicle was providing a chauffeured service after seeing a large Malaysia-registered multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) at the arrival hall of Changi Airport Terminal 3.

Wen, 54, said: "It was originally parked at door one. I was waiting for customers, so I took a few more glances at it."

He added that the MPV headed for door five about 10 minutes later. Then a man got out of the front seat and walked towards a man and woman.

The duo were allegedly tourists and Wen even confirmed their identities.

"I took my phone to film it, but they didn't stop me. The man and woman looked like foreigners and looked bewildered," said Wen.

According to Wen's video, the driver of the large MPV got out of the car to help the passengers move their suitcases into the boot.

Wen immediately reported the incident on LTA's website.

He said: "We are mainly targeting Malaysia motorists who offer point-to-point transport services in Singapore. Because their prices are relatively cheaper and passengers are unfamiliar with the regulations, many people choose to take these rides to visit local attractions."

Facebook group

Another private-hire vehicle driver, Lin, said he is the owner of a Facebook group with around 200 private-hire vehicle drivers.

Lin, 50, said: "Every day, private-hire vehicle drivers post photos to the group saying they have seen 'pirate taxis' at tourist attractions. I would advise them to report it to the authorities through the official website."

He said that while the number of illegal rides have decreased significantly since the authorities implemented stricter law enforcement on Aug. 5, he recently discovered that illegal rides have become active again.

Hotspots for illegal rides

Lin said the illegal ride-hailing vehicles are often found at tourist attractions.

This includes the zoo, ferry terminal, Changi Airport and Sentosa.

Ways to identify illegal taxis

Lin added that there are several ways to identify Malaysian "pirate cars".

Besides the dead giveaway of the licence plate number, the interaction between the driver and passengers are business-like and formal.

He said: "Sometimes, you can tell at a glance that the driver and passenger are not from the same family, for example, if the driver is a Malaysian and the passenger is a foreign tourist."

Since 2022, 136 drivers have been investigated for using foreign-registered vehicles to provide illegal private-hire services.

Those convicted have faced a fine of S$2,600 and their vehicles are forfeited.

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News