Businesses affected by shorter MRT operating hours brace for slow days
From Dec 8 to Dec 31, 17 EWL stations — from Tiong Bahru to Tuas Link — and two NSL stations, Bukit Batok to Bukit Gombak, will close at 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and open at 8am on Saturdays and Sundays instead of 5.30am. These stations will also be closed on two Sundays — Dec 10 and Dec 17. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Businesses located near MRT stations affected by shorter train operating hours and closures starting this weekend are bracing themselves for less footfall, with some taking measures to cushion the impact.
From Friday (Dec 8) to Dec 31, 17 East-West Line (EWL) stations — from Tiong Bahru to Tuas Link — and two North-South Line stations, Bukit Batok to Bukit Gombak, will close about an hour earlier at 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and open at 8am on Saturdays and Sundays instead of 5.30am. Some 20,000 to 30,000 commuters are expected to be affected by the shortened hours.
These 19 stations in total will also be closed the entire day on two Sundays — Dec 10 and Dec 17 — the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had announced in November.
The shortened operating hours will allow for engineering work to be carried out, so as to accelerate the resignalling project on the East-West Line.
As a result, businesses located near the stations are also expecting a drop in sales.
Several eateries and businesses told TODAY that they expect a 20 to 25 per cent drop in sales, and have taken measures to mitigate the expected fall in earnings, especially over the two Sundays when the stations will be shut.
One eatery selling fried noodles and snacks at Bukit Gombak station, for example, has reduced the working hours of its part-time staff over the affected days.
The stall’s manager, Mr Marcus Bee, said: “We’ve asked one of our part-timers to work for three to four hours on the next two Sundays instead of her usual six-hour shift.”
“We foresee a lot of standing around... not much business, especially when they are going to close the station entirely,” said the 27-year-old in Mandarin.
Besides cutting back on staff hours, some eateries along the affected stations will be reducing the amount of food prepared.
Mr Chen Chon Guan, who oversees three eateries at Redhill MRT station, said he expects sales to drop by about 20 per cent.
Speaking in Mandarin, he said: “We will definitely have to cut back on food preparation by about 30 per cent because there will be significantly fewer customers passing by to take the MRT.”
On weekdays and Saturdays, for example, he says that peak traffic flow takes place between 5am and 8am, with about “50 to 60 customers in the 5am to 6am belt”.
With train services only starting at 8am on Saturdays, he said: “I think we won’t be able to get business (from them) on these days.”
Nevertheless, most stalls said they would still stay open. Mr Chen said: “We’ve already paid rent, if we don’t open at all, we will not even make anything.”
Other stores are taking a wait-and-see approach before deciding whether to tweak their supply of goods.
Mr Frank Koh, owner of BB convenience store situated at the entrance of Bukit Batok station, said: “We have to see how badly business will be affected. We do order breakfast snacks for commuters to grab and go, but we will monitor and inform the supplier to see if we want to change the orders after the first Sunday of full closures.”
The 69-year-old said: “It’s not so bad for us... (compared to food stalls) because we don’t sell perishable goods.”
Besides businesses, at least one church located near a MRT station has also been taken measures to help church goers with a smoother journey to Christmas events.
St. John’s–St. Margaret’s Church, which is about a 10-minute walk from Dover MRT station, has organised a public Christmas Village on their premises over the Dec 16 - 17 and Dec 23 - 24 weekends.
Foreseeing that the special celebration might attract large crowds, the church’s director of operations Mr Lee Chee Sheong said: “We plan to have shuttle bus services in place during these dates and may alter the bus routes depending on how things go this Sunday.”
Meanwhile, commuters like Mr Chan Si Yong, 25, have to contend with changing their travel routes.
Mr Chan, who takes the train with his parents almost every Sunday for a game of badminton with his relatives, said: “We usually take the train from Pioneer to Bedok in the morning, but with the 17 stations closed on Sunday, we will now have to take a bus to Boon Lay bus interchange and ... probably take another bus to Outram, before continuing our journey on the EWL.” He estimates that the journey would take an additional 30 to 40 minutes.
Noting that taking taxis or private ride-hailing services can be quite costly given the distance, Mr Chan added: “The closures really make it hard for people to get around, but I guess there is no choice but to make alternative plans.”
