SINGAPORE - Taxi companies will, for the first time, be spreading the water conservation message among cabbies in a concerted effort in March to mark World Water Day.

This was among the plans national water agency PUB announced on Tuesday (March 1) to encourage people to save water here.

Some 11,500 cabbies from ComfortDelGro, Trans-cab, Prime Taxi and SMRT Taxis will each receive a World Water Day themed pail to encourage them to save water when washing their taxis.

They will be using this smaller pail, which has a 6-litre capacity, instead of the typical bucket with a 9-litre capacity. Cabbies usually use two to 2½ buckets of water to wash their taxis. With the smaller pail, the taxi drivers are encouraged to use the same number of pails of water.

The remaining 38,500 cab drivers will receive water-saving messages through e-newsletters and the mobile data-screen terminals in the vehicles.

About 240 activities have been planned for the month to tie in with World Water Day on March 22, with more than 400 partners involved.

Partners such as Golden Village and malls ChinaTown Point and United Square will feature mirror stickers in toilets at their premises to encourage cinema goers and shoppers to save water when washing their hands.

Motorists can also look out for freebies such as World Water Day car decals available at any of the 40 FairPrice Xpress or Cheers stores in Esso stations islandwide.

Free water conservation-themed colouring books - designed by Band of Doodlers, a voluntary group of artists aged five to over 50 - will also be given with any purchase at bookstores MPH, Books Actually and Basheer Graphic Books.