SINGAPORE – Identifying private hire cars will be made easier from July 1 when all private hire cars used for chauffeured services - like GrabCar and Uber - will have to display a pair of decals on their car.
The decals – which are to be affixed at the top right corner of the front windscreen and top left corner of the rear windscreen – will allow for the easier identification of registered private hire cars, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a press release on Thursday (April 13).
The decals will also help facilitate enforcement against offences such as unregistered cars providing chauffeured services, or private hire cars picking up passengers by street-hail.
The decals are tamper-evident, which means they cannot be re-used once removed, and any tampering made to the decal will be evident, LTA said.
Owners of private hire cars that were registered with the LTA on or before Feb 28 this year will have their pair of decals affixed at no cost, whereas owners who registered after Feb 28 will have to bear the S$20 (including GST) fee of obtaining and affixing the decals.
The decals will be available from next Monday (April 17) and can get them affixed at the following locations:
• VICOM/JIC inspection centres;
• STA inspection centres
• Uber and Grab affixing centres
Uber and Grab affixing centres will only be available until June 30 and are meant to facilitate the affixing for private hire cars registered on or before Feb 28. Those who registered their cars after Feb 28 this year will have to visit a Viacom/JIC or STA inspection centre.
LTA noted that failure to affix these decals will be an offence under the Road Traffic Act. More details on the penalties will be made known at a later date.
The tamper-evident decals will be inspected when private hire cars undergo regular vehicle inspections. Owners of private hire cars that fail these inspections will not be allowed to renew their road tax, LTA said, adding that letters have been mailed to all registered private hire car owners to inform them of the requirement and the steps they need to take.
Source: www.bing.com