Taxi Cab Hotline

An investigation by The Sunday Times showed that taxi touts are back to muscle in on the tourist dollar, following unprecedented visitor arrivals to Singapore.

What sets them apart from previous touts is that they are not using legal taxis to begin with. There "Cabs" are registered as private passenger vehicles.

Over two weeks, The Sunday Times observed them touting for customers at Changi Airport, Mustafa Centre and Orchard Towers.

They operate vehicles from minibuses to Mercedes-Benz limousines, and can make up to $5,000 a month.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has caught 10 such individuals so far this year, from just three over the whole of last year.

They target unsuspecting tourists at the airport, people having trouble flagging cabs at Mustafa Centre, and American marines at Orchard Towers in a hurry to return to Changi Naval Base before their midnight book-in deadline.

Said American tourist Timothy Kavitsm 42m who was approached by a tout at the airport: "He told us that we'd have to queue for an hour for a taxi which might cheat us."

The tout wanted to charge him and his wife $60 each for a trip to their hotel in Orchard Road in a Mercedes-Benz limousine, he said.

The tout could have netted $120 plus a tip of about $30 in just one trip. But Mr Kavits rejected the offer. A "legal" limousine taxi ride would have cost $45.

Minibus touts at the airport go for large families with promises of convenience and comfort.

Said a tout who wanted to be known only as Seng: "We tell them, our minibus can fit the whole family plus their luggage. If they take normal taxis, they would have to take three taxis and get split up and maybe also pay more. We've got space even for wheelchairs."

He charges $15 for each passenger and takes at least 10 passengers each time.

Like most other touts, Seng, 42, is a former taxi driver. He claimed that since he started touting in January, he has earned $4,000 to $5,000 a month, more than twice his former earnings.

A spokesman for Changi Airport Group said that the airport's auxiliary police conduct regular patrols at all terminals. Over the past three years, it has issued more than 30 warnings to tours and made two arrests.

"While the level of touting activity at Changi has been under control, cases do surface periodically, especially when the touts use a new modus operandi," he said.

The LTA said it regularly deploys officers to nab errant private vehicle owners, and warned that their vehicles may be seized.

But touts still appear undeterred because they think their business tactics are foolproof.

Said one minibus tout who introduced himself as Abdul, 46: "If they approach us, we just say there was a miscommunication and we got the wrong customer. They can identity us only of the customer complains, and the customers never complain."

Fuelling the demand are people like American marine Paul Phillips, 24, who pays about US$75 ($100) for a ride each time he docks here. "It's not that expensive when you think about it. It cost more back home," he said.

And Indonesian tourist Henny Winata, 34, use the minibuses every time she visits Singapore, which is twice a month.

She said: "I like their services. This is very common in other counties. If they don't approach me, I approach them."

Touts at Changi Airport

As many as three group of six touts each can be seen loitering around the Terminal 2 arrival hall at peak periods.

From 6am to 8am, business travellers on transit to New York, Amsterdam and Zurich arrive.

They have more than half a day to explore Singapore and pay touts up to $400 to chauffeur them around for six hours.

The touts rent luxury vehicles like Mercedes-Benzes for $138 a day, or Chryslers for about $150 a day.

They wait along slip roads to expressways half an hour before 6am and rely on a middleman stationed at the arrival terminal to contact them on walkie-talkie.

The middleman waits at the gates holding a sign with a fictitious name, most often Caucasian. On the pretext of verifying his customer, he moves into the crowd, asking passengers if they are the person he is looking for.

When they say "no", he asks them if they want a taxi, promising them safe, comfortable and affordable passage directly to their hotels.

Once a price is reached, the middleman calls in the illegal taxis, which arrive within 10 minutes.

A Mercedes-Benz taxi tout can earn up to $60 for each passenger for one trip, not including tips.

Minibus touts get to work from 3pm to 6pm, when large families from Indonesian cities like Surabaya, Medan and Palembang arrive. Armed with two luggage bags each, these visitors would rather take one minibus together than split up in several taxis.

They pay about $15 a person for a ride to their hotels.

The touts also target families with disabled or elderly people, telling them that they have space for a wheelchair.

The minibus costs about $110 a day to rent, but most touts pool money to buy one to avoid getting caught.

From midnight to 2am, Japanese businessmen arrive.

The regulars go up to the touts straightaway and ask for a luxury car to take them to their hotels, paying about $100 for a one-way ride.

If they like the driver, they engage him and pay up to $500 a night for his services.

Touts @ Mustafa Centre

The Sunday Times found that it was nearly impossible to flag a cab in Syed Alwi Road after 10.30pm all seven days a week, due to severe congestion. Instead, a row of five minibuses line the road.

Touts standing alongside the buses are heard shouting "$13, one person, Tuas!"

One minibus marked as a private vehicle is filled within 15 minutes.

Touts @ Orchard Towers

Touts here make the most money from passengers among all their peers, charging unsuspecting US marines up to US$100 (S$133) a head to take them back to Changi Naval Base.

They make their approach half an hour before midnight, as the soldiers need to be back by midnight or face disciplinary action.

A tout, who wanted to be known only as Ben, said "They are desperate, so they will pay. I have charged them up to US$150 a head before and sped them back to their base in 15 minutes."

Touting is illegal in Singapore

The LTA Taxi Advisory states that it is illegal for taxi drivers to tout and overcharge.

Fares must be charged according to the taximeter, plus applicable surcharges.
Receipt must be issued upon request.
Limousine taxi service charges a flat rate, and can only be hired from an authorised limousine counter or through call-booking.

Always book your taxi or limousines only from authorised operators.