Despite warnings from the cab companies, taxi touts were spotted in action at ZoukOut over the weekend.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is investigating nine cases where taxi drivers may have committed offences under the Vocational Licence Point System. This was the result of the LTA's enforcement activities at ZoukOut and passenger complaints.
An LTA spokesman told Life!: "The LTA regularly deploys its officers at popular tourist destinations and nightspots such as Sentosa, Clarke Quay and Boat Quay to deter and nab errant drivers who tout, overcharge or refuse passengers.
"'Last weekend, a team of LTA officers, together with those from the taxi companies, was at Sentosa during the ZoukOut event to monitor the taxi situation."Besides LTA officers on duty at Sentosa, where the annual beach party was being held, eight rangers from Sentosa were also on patrol.
At past ZoukOut events, partygoers had complained about taxi drivers refusing to pick up passengers, preferring to wait for calls as well as bargaining with passengers for flat fees ranging between $30 and $50.
In the wee hours of last Sunday, Life! spotted cabs with "Hired" signs turned on but no passengers inside leaving Siloso Point when the cabbies saw rangers stationed at the taxi stands.
Sentosa's spokesman Guenevere Cordeiro confirmed that more rangers were stationed at the Beach Station and Siloso Point taxi stands this year.
"With the coordinated efforts from agencies such as LTA, it has helped to contain the number of taxi touting cases this year," she added.
Life! spotted three undercover officers among the casually dressed partygoers at the Siloso Point taxi stand. They were taking pictures and noting the licence plates of two cabbies - a Premier Taxis silvercab and an SMRT taxi - between 3.30 and 4am.
They also kept a vigilant eye on cabbies who failed to turn on the meter after passengers boarded the taxis.
Every year, Zouk informs cab companies of the club's one-day closure on Jiak Kim Street for ZoukOut so that drivers can go to Siloso Beach to pick up passengers.
In the last two years, the dusk-to-dawn event has been a cash cow for taxi touts, who charged a flat rate from $30 to $50 from Sentosa. Many picked and chose passengers, groused partygoers.
This year's ZoukOut drew a record 26,000 revellers. This time around, more taxis were seen queueing to pick up passengers leaving the 14-hour beach party on Sunday morning between 3.30 and 5am.
Partygoers interviewed said the situation has improved this year.
Sales executive Jonathan Chew, 26, observed: "The traffic situation was more organised this year because there were more rangers at the Siloso Point taxi stand.
There was not much congestion as they directed the taxis that were on call to another location opposite the queue.
"Last year, the touts parked near the queue where there were also people waiting for cabs."
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Dec 16, 2008.
