SINGAPORE, Oct 11 — Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it has not approved any ride-hailing platform to provide cross-border rides and is now investigating the new “CB Taxi” service launched by Malaysian firm Kummute.

The LTA said it is “working with Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) to clarify the business model of Kummute’s e-hailing platform” after the company began offering app-based bookings for licensed Malaysian taxis to travel into Singapore, The Straits Times reported.

Kummute launched the service on its app on Sept 30, allowing users to book rides from anywhere in Peninsular Malaysia to the Ban San Street Terminal in downtown Singapore.

The LTA stressed that its approach is to ensure proper regulatory oversight and that any proposals for such services must be “jointly agreed with our Malaysian counterparts” under existing reciprocal arrangements.

However, Kummute maintains it is operating within the rules. 

Kenny Hew, Kummute’s head of business, explained that the company acts as a booking platform for already licensed cross-border taxi operators, not as a taxi service itself. He said about 120 licensed drivers have been verified and signed up on the app.

“Our understanding is that Malaysia to Singapore trips fall under Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport or Apad’s licensing framework, since we are providing the booking platform and not operating the taxis ourselves,” Hew was quoted as saying.

Despite the regulatory uncertainty, the service appears to be operational. One Singaporean traveller shared his positive experience of booking a ride from a Johor Bahru mall for RM199, praising the convenience of not having to cross the checkpoints on foot with his young children.

The conflict stems from the long-standing reciprocal cross-border taxi agreement, which allows only a limited number of licensed taxis from each country to operate between designated points: Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru and the Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore. 

The situation is further complicated by an ongoing crackdown on illegal cross-border transport providers.

Kummute, an authorised e-hailing provider for domestic rides in Malaysia, confirmed it is now seeking approval from Singaporean authorities to offer bookings for rides originating from Singapore to Malaysia.