if you take a cab in bangkok (where i'm from), the fare is charged by number of km and time spent on the journey. (for time, some taxi starts calculating once the car stops moving, some does even when the car is moving. i have no idea how this system work, really.) and you know, it's hard to predict how much the fare is gonna be, even though you often take the same route, because it depends on the traffic condition. and, in bangkok, you know that it's one thing you shouldn't be relied on...
in singapore this thing is quite complicated because there are some extra surcharges added. dear tourists, good luck if you want to make sure that the fare is correct. ok, now take a look at the picture, see the midnight surcharge? this has created an interesting urban phenomenon called 'there-is-no-taxi-between-eleven pm-and-midnight' (T.I.N.T.B.E.A.M). since the surcharge is quite big (50% on meter fare), many cabbies are tempted to keep watching for midnight (like cinderella). they usually use this one-hour time to take a break, go toilet, drink coffee, read newspaper, or just simply do nothing. even if you lucky enough to see a cab with green light, the minute you try to flag, the sign will astonishingly turn to on call.
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