Confusing taxi fares

The taxi fares in Singapore is confusing. Even a local person, like me, can easily fall into the trap and pay a much higher fare than necessary.

I returned back to Singapore from Jakarta last Monday past midnight. The concierge at the airport directed me to a waiting taxi. The taxi is white in color and had a special branding. I asked the taxi driver if it is a standard taxi and he said "yes".

When I arrived home, the taxi fare was $37. The normal fare was around $25, even after midnight. I asked why it was so expensive, and the taxi driver said that there was a surcharge after midnight. I believed that it was a non-standard taxi, but he appeared to be "blur".

In the past, the concierge would asked me if I wanted a non-standard taxi at a higher fare. That night, the concierge did not ask me. She just directed me to the specific taxi..I suspect that she was new to the job, or was being bribed by the taxi driver to direct a passenger to the higher fare taxi.

This is why I dislike the confusing taxi fare structure in Singapore. It is subject to abuse, The public could be conned when they are not aware about the higher fares.