Poor business at Tekka Market
Sumita Sreedharan | The Sunday Times | Sun Mar 14 2010
Hawkers at revamped food centre blame parking and ventilation woes.
Singapore, March, 14, 2010
Popiah seller Alan Tay moved from a hawker centre in Yishun to Tekka Market, thinking there would be more business there.
It has not worked out that way.
“I make just enough to cover expenses,” he said, adding that he pays $1,500 a month in rent.
Mr Tay is apparently not alone in feeling the squeeze on earnings at Tekka. It reopened in August last year after a 14 1/2-month break for renovations.
When The Sunday Times visited last Thursday, at least 18 stalls were vacant or closed. There was a queue of customers at only one stall.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said operators of five cooked food stalls have quit since Tekka was revamped.
Currently, 115 of the 119 cooked food stalls are occupied.
The vacant stalls are being tendered out.
Two common grouses cited by the hawkers, who pay between $1,000 and $1,500 a month in rent, concern parking and ventilation.
“Our customers have to pay $1 for half an hour; this means they have to pay $2 to lunch here,” said Mr Leng Kim Chwee, 56, who sells barbecued seafood.
The Housing Board introduced a system on Sept 22 last year that sets different prices for parking at different times. An HDB spokesman said this is to encourage faster turnover so that more motorists can use the carpark.
The spokesman noted that there are more than 1,000 parking spaces in the vicinity at places such as The Verge, formerly known as Tekka Mall. It costs just a dollar an hour to park there on weekdays before 5pm.
But marketing executive Henry Teo, 25, said he would not park there: “You have to take a long route just to get to the carpark at The Verge, and then cross the road to get to Tekka Market. It’s just too troublesome.”
Even the popular stalls have been hit. Mr Hadi Khamis has been selling Muslim food for more than 20 years and his stall is famous for its satay and mee rebus.
“Since the renovation, business has gone down,” said Mr Hadi, 53.
Customers have told him that ventilation is poor and even old problems such as cramped seating arrangements remain.
An NEA spokesman said it had installed more fans to improve the ventilation. But the jet fans were also blamed by some stallholders for causing oil to be splashed on the ceilings.
The NEA will be working with consultants on how to further improve the ventilation. A spring cleaning exercise will take place tomorrow and on Tuesday.
Sumita Sreedharan | The Sunday Times | Sun Mar 14 2010
Hawkers at revamped food centre blame parking and ventilation woes.
Singapore, March, 14, 2010
Popiah seller Alan Tay moved from a hawker centre in Yishun to Tekka Market, thinking there would be more business there.
It has not worked out that way.
“I make just enough to cover expenses,” he said, adding that he pays $1,500 a month in rent.
Mr Tay is apparently not alone in feeling the squeeze on earnings at Tekka. It reopened in August last year after a 14 1/2-month break for renovations.
When The Sunday Times visited last Thursday, at least 18 stalls were vacant or closed. There was a queue of customers at only one stall.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said operators of five cooked food stalls have quit since Tekka was revamped.
Currently, 115 of the 119 cooked food stalls are occupied.
The vacant stalls are being tendered out.
Two common grouses cited by the hawkers, who pay between $1,000 and $1,500 a month in rent, concern parking and ventilation.
“Our customers have to pay $1 for half an hour; this means they have to pay $2 to lunch here,” said Mr Leng Kim Chwee, 56, who sells barbecued seafood.
The Housing Board introduced a system on Sept 22 last year that sets different prices for parking at different times. An HDB spokesman said this is to encourage faster turnover so that more motorists can use the carpark.
The spokesman noted that there are more than 1,000 parking spaces in the vicinity at places such as The Verge, formerly known as Tekka Mall. It costs just a dollar an hour to park there on weekdays before 5pm.
But marketing executive Henry Teo, 25, said he would not park there: “You have to take a long route just to get to the carpark at The Verge, and then cross the road to get to Tekka Market. It’s just too troublesome.”
Even the popular stalls have been hit. Mr Hadi Khamis has been selling Muslim food for more than 20 years and his stall is famous for its satay and mee rebus.
“Since the renovation, business has gone down,” said Mr Hadi, 53.
Customers have told him that ventilation is poor and even old problems such as cramped seating arrangements remain.
An NEA spokesman said it had installed more fans to improve the ventilation. But the jet fans were also blamed by some stallholders for causing oil to be splashed on the ceilings.
The NEA will be working with consultants on how to further improve the ventilation. A spring cleaning exercise will take place tomorrow and on Tuesday.
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