I went to the taxi queue at Marina Cruise Center. There was a long queue and the taxis were slow in coming.

My friend said that the taxis are not given a surcharge for trips from the cruise center, so they boycott this location.

I went to the queue for large taxis where the fare is higher and the queue is shorter. Still, it took about 15 minutes before a taxi was available to pick me.

The people waiting in the queue for the normal taxi had to wait a much longer time.

While waiting, I looked at the price offered by Grab for the journey. It was $32 (surge pricing).

I was surprised that my trip in the large taxi cost only $24. It was lower than Grab. But my Grab journey to the cruise center few days earlier, i.e. without the surge pricing, costed only $16. The journey was 17 km.

The meter in the taxi actually showed only $21. Suddenly $3 was added to make $24. I did not ask what the $3 was for. I think the driver added the CBD charge of $3. I checked the internet and found that the CBD charge was required only after 5 pm. My trip was at 2 pm. So, the taxi driver probably added an unauthorised charge.

i did not mind paying the $24, as it was cheaper than the Grab fare.

But I find the taxi fares to be extremely confusing. I believe that the fare structure should be streamlined and standardised.

Tan Kin Lian