Next time you board a taxi in town, be extra-vigilant of the surcharges you have to pay.
A confusion over what constitutes the 'City' area means that some people could end up paying $3 more than they should.
Technically, it sounds simple enough: If a passenger boards a taxi in the City area between 5pm and midnight from Mondays to Saturdays, then he is subject to a $3 surcharge.
But what exactly are the demarcations of 'City'? Therein lies the confusion for some passengers and taxi drivers.
The inconsistent implementation of the surcharge has riled passengers who say they are being ripped off by errant cabbies.
Mr Fattah Salim, 19, a polytechnic student, was almost made to pay the surcharge for a cab ride last Saturday at 9pm.
Despite the fact that he had boarded the taxi in Kembangan - in the eastern part of Singapore and well outside the Central Business District (CBD) - the driver implemented the surcharge.
When he queried the driver, the latter insisted Kembangan was part of the City area where the surcharge was applicable.
The driver reluctantly waived the surcharge only after Mr Fattah protested.
The three taxi companies - namely, ComfortDelGro, SMRT and Premier Taxis - said the City area surcharge was applicable if the point of hire is within demarcated CBD zones.
ComfortDelGro added that the surcharge also applies if the point of hire for its cabs is in the Orchard Road stretch.
All three companies also said their drivers are briefed on the areas covered by the surcharge.
Despite this, some taxi drivers my paper spoke to said they only have a sketchy grasp of it.
