Surely, the time has come for the public transport authorities in Singapore to take another look at the present annoying taxi phone booking system which is doing a disservice to many commuters.

The irony is that this system which was conceived for the convenience of the travelling public has become anything but.

The abuse of this system has become so widespread and grouses from the public so frequent that it surprises me nothing has been done to tweak it.

I blame the system more than the taxi drivers for this widespread service lapse. Because the system is there, it is not unexpected that the cabbies will exploit it.

But they are doing this at the expense of providing a satisfactory of public service. And I don't think they care.

It has long been common knowledge that at peak hours on this island and on Fridays and Saturdays, especially in the evenings, passing taxis are virtually unavailable at key points, especially in the Central Business District, unless one phones for them. The booking rates vary: S$8 for limousines, S$5 for prime time bookings and S$2.50 for non-peak ones.

I have no quarrel with the peak period surcharges at $2 per trip but it is obvious that the phone booking arrangement is the bugbear for many.

Since most passengers during these peak periods can only get a booked taxi, it means that their cab flag down fare goes up by an extra $5, or $2.50 for non-peak times - these being the booking fees.

Do away with the booking system and we will see taxis cruising everywhere to pick up fare, just like they now doing during the off-peak periods. With more than 22,300 taxis available and with seven taxi companies operating them, there is no reason why these cabs cannot be readily available anywhere, anytime even if not all taxis are on the roads at any given period.

Let me cite the most recent example. I was at the Singapore Turf Club in Kranji to cover the SIA International Cup Race last Sunday. At past 9pm, after the big race was over, a long queue of people waited at the designated taxi stand in vain for cabs to arrive.

Oh, many taxis did, to be sure, but all, without exception, were ones which had responded to phone bookings.

I saw many Caucasians and other foreigners in the queue and I noticed the anxious looks on their faces when no passing cab arrived after they had waited for half an hour.

The man who approached me was Malcolm, a middle-aged Australian who was holidaying here.

When he saw group after group of people not in the queue jumping into taxis, he realised these were the booked cabs. He turned to ask me: "Don't the other taxi drivers know about this big day at the races? Why are they not here?" he asked. I was ashamed to have to tell him why.

It was now that I also decided I had no choice but to make a booking and I told him he had better do the same and gave him the phone number of a taxi company. Still not convinced that no taxi would come without a booking, he said he would wait a little longer.

Before long, my booked taxi had arrived and I left wondering how long this visitor's night was.

Ever since I started to use public transport two years ago, I find that taxis have been the most troublesome ones when it comes to availability during peak hours. I have stood some Friday evenings for as long as an hour in streets in the city area, only to see empty taxis go past with their drivers wearing blinkers, like as if they did not see my frantic waves for them to stop.

Taxi drivers here obviously don't care much about public service. Some have told me that when it rains, they avoid the city area or stop for a rest. They shunned areas which are prone to traffic snarls and prefer to ply outside the city areas.

Yet, during off-peak periods, they prowl around, sometimes even tooting the horn to catch your attention. When we need them, they are not around but when we don't need them, they want our business.

Sometimes, I feel like boycotting all taxis just to spite them.

If I do that, they richly deserve it.

This article first appeared in AsiaOne on 22 May 2007