LTA has upgraded their provisional licences for point-to-point transport services
[SINGAPORE] Transport operators Trans-Cab and Geolah on Monday (Dec 22) received full ride-hail service operator licences, having held provisional licences for point-to-point transport services since 2024.
The new licences will be valid for three years, compared to the one-year validity of the provisional ones, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The provisional licences allowed them to provide ride-hail services from Jan 1 this year while they “improved their operational capabilities to meet LTA’s regulatory standards for safety and service provision” for full licences, which they have now met.
The first phase of LTA’s point-to-point transport sector review went into effect this year with the aim to stabilise taxi supply, improve the reliability of services, and reduce disruptions and ensure that services cater to a wider range of users.
Trans-Cab and Geolah now join the ranks of ComfortDelGro’s Zig, GrabCar, Ryde, Tada and Gojek with the full ride-hail licences.
The changes, announced last year, also included less stringent requirements to obtain a taxi driver’s vocational licence and a move to help drivers compare trip data across various platforms they drove for.
Taxi operator Trans-Cab Services was founded in 2003. It had 2,500 taxis as at December this year, according to its website.
In 2024, Trans-Cab’s proposed acquisition by Grab fell through after both parties opted against the move. This was after Singapore’s consumer watchdog found that competition would be significantly reduced if the deal went through.
Meanwhile, Geolah was founded in 2020 by Deniel Singh and George Lim Ting as an artificial intelligence-driven ride-hailing platform. It offers ride-hailing, by-the-hour limousine services and parcel delivery through its app.
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