EXTERNAL AUDITORS FOR VERIFYING CHARGES GENERATED BY RIDE- HAILING PLATFORMS’ TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

Having regard to the recent case of Grab overcharging passengers for recovery of ERP charges, I suggested to the Minister for Transport that ride-hailing companies licensed under the Point-to-Point Passenger Transport Industry Act 2019 should appoint external auditors to check and verify the accuracy of prices of fares imposed on passengers. It’s about safeguarding consumer interests and upholding integrity in our transport services. My parliamentary question and the Minister’s response are set out below.

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Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Transport whether the Land Transport Authority will consider requiring licensed ride-hailing service operators under the Point-to-Point Passenger Transport Industry Act 2019 to appoint external auditors on a regular basis to check the data from technological systems that are used to derive prices for charging commuters and verify that the charges are correct and conform with regulatory standards.

Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): Point-to-point (P2P) transport operators must ensure that fares collected from passengers comply with the Public Transport Council’s Street Hail and Ride Hail Fare Pricing Policy Orders. The Land Transport Authority does not prescribe how P2P transport operators should comply with these regulatory standards. Operators who fail to do so will be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to penalties such as fines of up to $100,000.