The touting problem can be tackled with stiffer measures. Here are some of the suggestions made by 90 people The Sunday Times interviewed.

Stiffer fines

The present penalties - fines of between $100 and $500 and three to 21 demerit points - are too light. One person suggested a fine of $2,000.

"A few hundred dollars... is even cheaper than when you get caught eating on the MRT (which is a $500 fine)."
- Engineer Michael Hapin, 28

Suspend or revoke the driver's licence

Some suggested that this should take immediate effect, not a month or two later, so that cabbies feel the pain.

Shared accountability Taxi companies should be fined too. Right now, there is no motivation for taxi companies to police their own cabs.

"They hired these drivers, so they should be responsible for keeping an eye on them."
- Student Casey Lee, 18

Shared database

Taxi companies should have a common database to keep track of recalcitrant cabbies.

Monitor hot spots

Install surveillance cameras at these taxi stands and errant cabbies' activities will be caught on tape. The cameras will also act as a deterrent.

Raise taxi fares

They resort to these tactics because they don't earn enough.

"They don't have CPF, Medisave, no benefits...We need to pay them more if we want to up their standards."
- Restaurant manager Mohammed Faizal, 29

Shame them

Have a sticker on the cab which shows that the cabby has been caught touting.

"Only if he behaves will he be allowed to take down the sticker."
- Undergrad Yow Wen Han, 23