Stomper waits 3 hours for taxi from JB to S'pore, quoted as high as $120 by both licensed and illegal drivers
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Drivers are providing rides from Johor to Singapore at inflated rates, said a passenger.
Stomper Sam shared his recent observations at Larkin Taxi Terminal, where he claimed both licensed and illegal drivers are "overcharging" travellers.
Currently, a Johor-Singapore 24-hour taxi service launched on Oct 15 costs RM100 (S$33) per trip, which works out to be about S$8.30 per person when shared between four people. The service ferries passengers from KTM Berhad Museum – which is about a minute's walk from Johor Bahru City Square – to Ban San Street Terminal in Queen Street.
Meanwhile, the official Strides fare from Larkin to Ban San Street is RM120 (S$38) per taxi – or RM30 (around S$9.50) per pax – according to Sam.
However, the reality on the ground paints a vastly different picture.
Sam said: "Many drivers — including Malaysian taxis, Singapore-registered taxis, and even illegal private cars — are refusing to follow the official RM100 per taxi fare to Singapore. At Larkin, the 'system' is operating on a per-person fare in SGD, instead of the official per-taxi rate.
"Touts and some drivers were asking for inflated prices of S$15–$30 per pax, only departing when they had four passengers. This means each vehicle collected S$60–$120, which is far above the regulated rate.
"What's worse is that even the official taxi counters in Larkin are giving the same inflated prices instead of the proper fare.
"Passengers were seen waiting for long periods, but many eventually had no choice but to accept these unreasonable and inflated fares."
Sam shared his experience after spending almost three hours in line at the taxi terminal. He was with three other family members and they were third in the queue.
"During my entire waiting period, not a single taxi charging the official fare moved," he recalled.
"The taxis only moved when passengers agreed to pay inflated per-person prices. The destination was only Ban San Street, so I do not understand why extra payment was required beyond the official fare.
"There were also many illegal private cars openly offering cross-border rides. These touts were actively walking around and the prices kept changing depending on who approached you. They kept telling passengers that there were 'no taxis available', even though many were clearly parked at the nearby lots close to the stand.
"Some of them also asked where I stayed, offering to send me straight home, saying it would be 'easier', which added more pressure to accept their offer. Once you agreed, someone would lead you to a driver, either a taxi or a private car. It appeared to be an organised operation working as a group.
"This creates a situation where passengers feel pressured into accepting inflated rates, even though the official fare is fixed. It is also especially unfair to elderly passengers, low-income travellers, and people who work hard just to afford basic transport, only to be charged far more than the official rate."
The Stomper noticed a group of four before him boarding a Malaysian taxi for S$60, but decided to give up on waiting.
"In the end, after waiting for nearly three hours and seeing how the situation was unfolding, I decided to give up and took a bus back to Singapore with my family instead, as I did not think it was worth the risk to take an illegal or overcharged ride."
Sam reported the issue to various relevant authorities in Singapore and Malaysia, but is still awaiting replies from all of them.
"This problem is not new, so it is unlikely that no one has reported it before — yet the situation continues without improvement," he told Stomp.
"With Visit Malaysia 2026 approaching, issues like this give a very poor impression to tourists and Singapore travellers entering Johor Bahru."
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