JOHOR BARU, July 1 — The Johor Baru-Singapore taxi service has been shut down following the expiry of its permit, thus making it difficult for more than 1,000 users.

Johor Baru-Singapore Taxi Owners and Drivers Association chairman Muhamad Najib Abdul Rahman said 200 taxi drivers could not enter Singapore and renew their road tax from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore.

“The permit expired on May 31 and then extended for a month. All Johor Baru-Singapore taxis were unable to enter Singapore since midnight (last night),” he said when met at the Larkin Sentral Terminal here, today.

Muhamad Najib said LTA was sending the permit to the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) that expects to receive it tomorrow.

The permit must be renewed every year.

The Johor Baru-Singapore taxi service is expected to return to normal tomorrow evening after the road taxs are renewed.

Muhamad Najib said the delay in renewing the permit and road tax over the last three years had affected the income of the taxi drivers.

The association had put up notices to inform users of the problem in order to avoid any misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, Zaiton Ajamuddin, 55, said the permit problem complicated her return home to Upper Boon Keng, Singapore.

“I often take a taxi to commute between Singapore and Johor Baru as I carry a lot of goods. Its hard to take the bus,” she said.

Tourist Jalius Pandoko, 50, said he and his family wanted to go to Singapore to take a flight back to Bandung, Indonesia but did not expect this problem.

“I am lucky because the flight home is scheduled for tomorrow,” he added. — Bernama