MP Urges Talks To Lift Ban On JB-SG E-Hailing Rides

A Johor MP has urged Putrajaya to negotiate with Singapore to lift the ban on e-hailing rides from Johor Bahru into the republic, saying the restriction is hurting daily commuters and travellers.

Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah said many Johoreans, including himself, prefer flying out from Changi Airport for overseas trips, but recent enforcement has made it nearly impossible.

“A ride from JB to Changi takes about an hour if the Causeway is clear. But now, drivers risk having their cars seized or being investigated just for dropping passengers off there,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

He called on Malaysia’s transport and foreign ministers to urgently meet their Singaporean counterparts to find a solution.
“Johor and Singapore have enjoyed close, strategic ties for decades. If the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone is supposed to bring us closer, why keep barriers like this?” he said.

Puah suggested allowing cross-border e-hailing under strict conditions such as limiting drop-offs to airports and ferry terminals and restricting passengers to Malaysians or foreign residents living in Malaysia.

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) recently said it had no plans to fully open cross-border e-hailing, citing the need to protect local taxi drivers and prevent unlicensed services.

Currently, only 200 licensed taxis from each side can operate under the Cross-Border Taxi Scheme, with pick-ups restricted to designated points.

Puah argued smoother cross-border travel would benefit both economies. With the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) set to open in late 2026, he warned that poor planning could shift congestion from the Causeway to city streets.

To avoid a traffic nightmare, Puah proposed building two new road links from the RTS terminal, one heading towards Jalan Skudai to disperse traffic north and west, and another towards Jalan Tebrau to channel vehicles eastwards.

“These routes would keep thousands of e-hailing cars and private vehicles from flooding JB’s city centre once the RTS starts running,” he was quoted as saying.