Okokuzithokozisa okubandakanya ezokuthutha e-Singapore
As an experience host, you get to share your passion with travellers from around the world. This article can help you share your passion responsibly. You design and control your experience listing, what service you offer, when and where you host, and what you charge. It is your responsibility to be aware of and comply with all legal and regulatory requirements when hosting your experience.
You can use this article as a starting point for learning about local laws or regulations that may apply to your experience, but it doesn’t constitute legal or tax advice. We’re also not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the sources we’ve linked to, so we encourage you to double-check the sources and seek your own legal advice. We don’t update this information in real time, so you should always confirm that the laws or procedures haven’t changed recently.
This page contains information about responsible hosting in Singapore. We also have articles that contain general information about hosting experiences anywhere in the world, which you can find in the Responsible hosting section of our Help Center.
Transportation guidelines for experiences in Singapore
You may be considered to be operating a Private Hire Car if you drive your guests, for which you and your car will require a licence. A Private Hire Car is a motor car which does not ply for hire on any road but is hired or made available for hire under a contract, express or implied, for the use of such vehicle as a whole.
However, you and your car may not require a licence if it meets certain requirements in the Road Traffic (Car Pools) Exemption Order 2015, such as if the ride you’re offering is incidental to your use of the vehicle, not an integral part of your Experience, and if you do not offer more than two such rides each day on your vehicle. If the ride is integral to your Experience, even if no fee is charged directly on the ride (but the ride is included in the Experience), your car may still be considered to be a "Private Hire Car" that attracts the requirement of a licence.
Specifically, you must also apply for a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL), with the Land Transport Authority (LTA). You will also need to convert your car to a Z10 (for normal sedans) or Z11 (for vehicles like SUVs and MPVs) classification, on the Land Transport Authority's OneMotoring website.
If you are unsure as to whether your experience requires a private hire car classification or a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence, we encourage you to reach out to the LTA or speak to your lawyer to make sure you are following the laws.
Here is an example where you are likely to require a "Private Hire Car" classification and a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence:
- I am a foodie and I want to bring fellow foodies around my neighbourhood for a food tour. I will be driving them to several food stops as part of the food tour.
Here is an example where you may not require a "Private Hire Car" classification and a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence :
- I conduct a yoga class in my home and I ask my class attendees to gather at an MRT station near my home. I will pick up all my guests in a single ride, and drop all my guests off in a single ride, at the station after class, and you do not offer any other carpool rides that day.
If your Experience requires your car to be of a "Private Hire" Z10 or Z11 classification , before driving any guests you must ensure that:
- You have procured insurance which covers the use of the vehicle for a commercial purpose and the insurance policy allows third parties such as passengers in your Private Hire Car to claim compensation from the insurer in the event of an accident (mandated under the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party) Risks and Compensation) Act);
- You have converted your vehicle from P10/P11 classification which is for "Passenger (Private) cars" to Z10 or Z11 classification which is for "Private hire (Chauffeur) motor cars/station wagons"with the LTA (you will have to approach the LTA for the conversion process);
- You have up-to-date road tax; and
- You affix your vehicle with a pair of tamper-evident decals.
Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence
In addition to ensuring that your vehicle is classified correctly as a "Private Hire Car", you must also ensure that you have a valid Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence, to drive any guests in your private hire car. The key requirements are:
- You must pass the LTA's required medical examination and background checks;
- You must have a valid Class 3/3A driving licence for at least a continuous period of at least 2 years at the point of application;
- You must be able to speak and read simple English; and
- You must complete the Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence Course.
Application for a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence may be submitted online via LicenceOne, with the required documents.
You will not require a licence in order to book transportation with a licensed transport provider if you are merely making on the spot bookings instead of chartering transport, and if you do not charge for this service.
You should be aware that there is potential criminal liability including financial penalties and/or jail for failing to have the requisite private hire car classification, Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence, and/or commercial insurance. You will also be required to comply with the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Rules which specify amongst others that Private Hire Cars (unlike taxis) are not allowed to ply the roads for hire or pick up passengers from a taxi stand.