“Passengers should get a sense of security whether they step into a licensed taxi or a Grab or Go-Jek vehicle,” said Song Seng Wun, an economist at CIMB Private Banking in Singapore. “Having heard so many horrendous stories about incidents, safety is the most important thing. So this is a timely move.”
(Jan 25): Singapore is proposing to step up regulation of ride-hailing companies such as Grab and Go-Jek, bringing rules for the services in line with taxi operators in a bid to better protect the safety of commuters and drivers.
The city-state’s regulators asked for public comment on the subject through Feb 21 because of the gaps in how street-hailing and ride-hailing services are managed, according to a statement. Both taxi companies and ride-hailing firms “provide the same fundamental service of transporting commuters from point to point,” the Land Transport Authority said. Under current rules, taxi operators are required to be licensed, while ride-hailing companies are not.
