I hail a cab to go to the church to deliver the music tracks for the production of One Night Stand. The taxi makes a steep turn and halts by the kerbside. The driver rolls down the window. I think he is going to ask me where I am heading before he decides to pick me up.

Before I can open my mouth, he says: “Quick, get in!”

I obey, and before I can give him my destination he drives off, swerving to the second lane away from the kerb. And then he asks me where I want to go.

He explains that I am standing by a bus lane. He is prohibited from manoeuvring into the lane because he might be summoned. He told me he had checked his surroundings, ensuring there was no traffic policeman standing around with a telescopic device to capture the license plates of offenders, before he made the decision to pick me up from my waiting location. That explains the sharp turns towards and away from the kerb.

This means that I might not even have the chance to flag down a cab because none would take the risk of entering the restricted area. Either they get business, or if they’re unlucky enough they pick up a customer and get away with a fine as well. And that is the driver’s sentiments. It’s a gamble of either earning his wages, or losing $130 to the state.

This reveals ironies in transport planning and state jurisdiction. While making bus services more efficient – they have their own specialised ‘lanes’ and hence avoid getting into a jam – the situation is made difficult for the cabbies. People take taxis because they are able to hail them anywhere they wish without the inconvenience of walking to a bus-stop or train station, and the taxis can similarly drop them where they wish without the hassle of changing transport midway, like buses and trains that run on fixed routes. The taxi is flexible. However this flexibility is hampered by denying taxis legal entry to enter bus lanes in order to pick up passengers, on the accusation that taxis block the path of the buses and becomes an obstacle in their travel. Yes, taxis do block the way while passengers fumble for money to pay for their trips, but I think through some common sense and consideration the occupants of the taxi could be more aware of their surroundings when it comes to choosing a place to disembark? Of course one should not go be the silly fool to ask the driver to stop in front of a stationary bus and hence block his path. Otherwise I do not see a problem, especially for boarding passengers – it’s a matter of getting on – the driver can set off while the destination is being given and the preferred route debated. It is ridiculous to limit taxi-boarding and alighting to taxi-stands: how many taxi stands can there possibly be? And the purpose for taxis is defeated if customers are forced to get on and off at designated stands!

There is some kind of loophole when it comes to such planning. The bus lane restriction is good for the buses and their passengers. Have other implications been considered? We do not know if the taxi drivers have feedback to their company about their difficulties. If anything transport planning ought to be more flexible about this, given that taxis are public transport and not merely cars. Taxi drivers need to earn their wages too. Some exceptions could be made for taxi drivers to pick up their passengers more easily without too much deviation from the original purpose of the bus lane.