Grab Granted Cross-border Ride-hail Service Operator Licence
KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) -- Southeast Asia’s top ride-hailing and delivery firm Grab has been granted the first Cross-Border Ride-Hail Service Operator Licence (CRSOL), which allows operators to provide cross-border services through their ride-hail platforms.
The CRSOL is under the enhanced Cross-Border Taxi Scheme and was jointly announced by the Ministry of Transport of Singapore and the Ministry of Transport of Malaysia.
“This enables Grab to provide cross-border taxi booking services through the Grab app,” Grab said in a statement.
With the licence, Grab said it will be piloting a new taxi booking service for cross-border journeys between anywhere in Singapore and anywhere within the following areas in Malaysia: Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai.
Named Cross-Border JB-SG (Beta), the pilot service seeks to enhance the travel experience across one of the world’s busiest land border crossings.
Passengers from both cities will be able to make bookings for door-to-door rides through the Grab app, within a 12-hour to seven-day timeframe.
“This pilot will be rolled out gradually, starting on May 4, 2026. Grab will expand and refine the service as more licensed cross-border taxis are onboarded and based on feedback from the drivers and passengers in the coming months,” it said.
To enhance cross-border connectivity, the Singaporean and Malaysian governments will issue 300 licences to taxi drivers in each country in 2026.
In a first for GrabCab – Grab’s taxi fleet launched in 2025 – a number of its drivers have also been issued licences from Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency.
Furthermore, Grab is in the midst of onboarding licensed cross-border taxis from GrabCab and other taxi operators, and it has streamlined the backend process for Singapore and Malaysia taxi drivers to more easily manage cross-currency earnings and different regulatory requirements.
Singapore-licensed cross-border taxis can pick passengers from any location in Singapore and drop them off in any location within the operating areas of Malaysia. However, on return trips, pick-ups are limited to advance booking from fixed points, namely Toppen Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Southkey Mall, Angsana Mall, and Larkin Sentral Terminal.
Similarly, Malaysia’s licensed cross-border taxis can pick passengers from any location within the operating areas in Malaysia and drop them off in any location in Singapore.
However, on return trips, pick-ups are limited to advance booking from fixed points near Vivocity, near Century Square Shopping Mall, Joo Koon MRT station, and Ban San Street Terminal.
Grab president and chief operating officer Alex Hungate said the company is honoured to partner with the governments of both countries in their shared vision to enhance cross-border connectivity.
“We will work closely with our taxi driver partners and passengers, using their feedback from this pilot to refine our operations and deliver a high-quality, reliable service,” he said.
-- BERNAMA