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Taxis in Singapore have a very colourful history. Back in the old days, you could negotiate with the cabbie on the taxi fare, unlike the current meter system, whose systematic calculation leaves no room for error.

And not just anyone can become a taxi driver back then. In 1971, Singapore's taxi drivers were picked out by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew during a ballot to select taxi drivers.

Taking a taxi from Bukit Panjang to Lim Chu Kang cost just 40 cents per person. Now, a similar journey will probably cost you at least $8 or more.

There were also 'pirate taxis' back then. Some people used their cars as unlicensed public-services vehicles to serve the public's tranportation needs. They used private houses as contact points and issued call cards to publicise their transport services.

Not forgetting these historical facts, local taxi drivers are pretty much an indelible part of the public transportation network, with their own views and colourful languages to entertain their passengers.