The licence falls under the enhanced Cross-Border Taxi Scheme and was jointly announced by the transport ministries of Singapore and Malaysia.

“This enables Grab to offer cross-border taxi booking services through the Grab app,” the company said in a statement.

With the licence, Grab will pilot a new taxi booking service for journeys between any location in Singapore and designated areas in Malaysia, namely Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai.

Dubbed Cross-Border JB-SG (Beta) pilot, it aims to improve travel across one of the world’s busiest land border crossings.

Passengers in both countries will be able to book door-to-door rides via the Grab app within a 12-hour to seven-day advance window.

The service will be rolled out gradually from May 4.

Grab said it would refine and expand the service as more licensed cross-border taxis are onboarded and based on feedback from drivers and passengers.

To strengthen cross-border connectivity, both governments will each issue 300 licences to taxi drivers in 2026.

In a first for GrabCab – Grab’s taxi fleet launched in 2025 – some drivers have also received licences from Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency.

Grab is also onboarding licensed cross-border taxis from GrabCab and other operators, while streamlining backend processes to help drivers manage cross-currency earnings and differing regulatory requirements.

Singapore-licensed taxis can pick up passengers anywhere in Singapore and drop them off within the designated areas in Malaysia.

However, return trips are limited to advance bookings from fixed points – Toppen Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Southkey Mall, Angsana Mall, and Larkin Sentral Terminal.

Similarly, Malaysia-licensed taxis can pick up passengers within the designated areas in Malaysia and drop them off anywhere in Singapore.

Return trips are limited to advance bookings from fixed points near VivoCity, Century Square, Joo Koon MRT station, and Ban San Street Terminal.