The 15 who spoke to The Straits Times say getting a cab is more of a breeze nowadays: Taxis are the ones waiting in line to pick up fares.

Mrs Monica Braberry, 47, who took a taxi nearly every day during the festive season, said: 'It's easier to get cabs now.

'When I was at the Heartland Mall in Hougang recently, there were three cabs at the taxi stand.'

A regular at the mall during the Christmas period, the administrative executive said that before the fare increase, no cabs would be waiting at the stand and a 10- to 15-minute wait for one was usual.

Over at Ngee Ann City, infamous for snaking queues of commuters especially from 9pm onwards, waiting taxis have also been outnumbering passengers.

A security officer who helps direct the streams of cars and taxis in the mall's driveway said this has been the case since the fares were raised.

Not only are taxi drivers cooling their heels waiting for fares at taxi stands, but commuters hailing cabs on the streets have also been getting them more easily.

Mr Zeeshan Shaikh, an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, flags down taxis twice or thrice a week to get from his hostel to General Electric in Tiong Bahru Plaza, where he works as an intern.