The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook statement on 16 May that they had impounded and towed away 2 cars and a motorcycle for offering illegal carpooling and motorcycle pooling services during an enforcement operation.
LTA said that for the safety of commuters, they encourage the public to use licensed business platforms to book commercial carpooling services, and not unregulated carpooling services.
Land Transport Authority’s statement on Facebook
Earlier this month, we carried out enforcement operations against drivers and motorcyclists offering illegal car-pooling services and motorcycle pooling services.
Two drivers and one motorcyclist were booked and their vehicles impounded for further investigations.
For commuters’ own safety, we strongly encourage those who wish to book point-to-point transport services, including commercial car-pooling services, to do so via licensed business platforms.
Reminder: Those who offer illegal car or motorcycle pooling services without a vocational license or use an unlicensed vehicle could face up to $3,000 in fines and/or up to 6 months imprisonment if found guilty.
Carpooling groups
At the moment, customers are using Telegram chat groups to find drivers for carpooling services, which is actually illegal.
SG Hitch, one of the more popular carpooling chat groups on Telegram with more than 190,000 members inside, is one of such chat groups that provide the unregulated service.
Ryde and Grab, which are licensed carpooling operators, are issued the Carpool Service Operator License (CSOL) by the authorities, and they conduct verification of the drivers’ driving licenses and keep records of booked trips, which can be used for investigations should a dispute occur.
According to LTA, from 2020 to 2023, 6 drivers have been fined $1,200 and banned from driving for 12 months after being charged for illegal carpooling – they were also found guilty of holding the required motor insurance and fined $600 as well.
Persons found guilty of providing illegal carpooling services using an unlicensed vehicle or vocational license face a jail term of up to 6 months and/or a fine of up to $3,000.