inDrive app facilitating illegal ride-hailing made inaccessible in Singapore amid crackdown

By Hien Nguyen August 28, 2025 | 02:56 pm PT

Vehicles driving on a street in Singapore. Photo by Pexels

The inDrive app, which facilitates illegal ride-hailing in Singapore, can no longer be downloaded or used in the city-state, as authorities crack down on the unauthorized service.

The app is no longer available in the app store and if users try to book a ride within Singapore, the app now displays a message saying the service is not available there, according to a Facebook post on Wednesday by Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for Transport.

The change followed feedback from residents about the platform, she added.

Screenshots showing inDrive unavailable for download and usage in Singapore. Photo from Facebook/Sun Xueling

The platform, which lets passengers suggest a fare and matches them with drivers, operates in almost 1,000 cities across 48 countries and has been downloaded more than 3.6 million times, according to The Straits Times.

The app offers destinations in Singapore despite not being on the Land Transport Authority’s list of legal ride-hailing operators, which include CDG Zig, Geolah, Gojek, Grab, Ryde, Tada and Trans-cab.

Discussions in Facebook groups for private-hire drivers in Singapore suggested that the app was used by some Malaysia-registered drivers to offer cross-border trips, even though such services are illegal. Members of these groups also rallied to report the platform to LTA, Mothership reported.

According to the city-state’s Ministry of Transport, Malaysia-registered private cars and private-hire vehicles are prohibited from providing cross-border or ride-hailing trips in the city-state.

Only up to 400 taxis licensed through a scheme are allowed to offer such services, but only to certain locations, per Channel News Asia.

Authorities have been ramping up enforcement against unauthorized ride-hailing. An operation targeting those offering such services to and from Malaysia earlier this month saw 19 drivers caught on its first day.

Sun said the effort is intended to protect compliant drivers, as well as passengers since these services lack proper insurance coverage.

Licensed taxi drivers have expressed support for the clampdown, with some telling Shin Min Daily News that their passenger numbers have since increased by 10–30%.