Nightspots in Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Upper Circular Road can apply to extend liquor trading hours in trial

SINGAPORE: The window for selling alcohol in some nightlife stretches along the Singapore River will be extended by an hour on two days, in a year-long trial starting Aug 18.

Liquor licensees in the Boat Quay, Upper Circular Road and Clarke Quay areas can apply to the police to extend their trading hours to 4am on Fridays and Saturdays.

This applies to pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurant hybrids, said the trade and industry, national development and home affairs ministries in a joint press release on Thursday (Aug 7).

Liquor trading hours at such licensed spots currently end at 3am on weekdays and Saturdays. It ends at 4am on Sundays and public holidays.

LAW AND ORDER

The police, Singapore Tourism Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority have since December 2009 introduced various measures in the Boat Quay historic district and Upper Circular Road area to "address law and order concerns" and keep the area safe and attractive to locals and overseas visitors, the ministries said in the press release.

"The law-and-order situation at Boat Quay has remained stable over the last few years," they noted.

New rules introduced in 2013 meant that bars and clubs could no longer sell liquor until 6am.

In 2018, a trial for alcohol sales until 4am on Saturdays was introduced in Clarke Quay. However, it ended after four months, after the police found that certain public order crimes had increased.

NEW BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS

On Thursday, the ministries also announced that as part of the one-year pilot to revitalise the areas, applications to set up new bars, pubs and nightclubs along the Boat Quay Waterfront, Circular Road, Lorong Telok and Canton Street, will be considered.

"Approved proposals for new nightlife uses in the applicable areas as mentioned above may be granted temporary permission for up to three years during the pilot," they said.

They added that the Singapore River One group will assist with security patrols in these areas.

Another part of the revitalisation plan is the regular evening closure of Circular Road on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as the eve of public holidays, for events and pedestrian-friendly activities.

ENHANCED VIBRANCY

The initiatives announced on Thursday are “in line with ongoing efforts to enhance vibrancy and provide opportunities for businesses in the city centre”, said the ministries.

“This initiative is part of the government's wider efforts … to review regulations and reduce compliance burdens for businesses,” they added.

Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said the changes were made after discussions with the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA), Singapore River One (SRO) and members of the public.

“We will continue to see how we can improve the vibrancy of these precincts,” he told reporters.

He added that the three-year duration for new establishments will allow the businesses to “explore new concepts”.

Minister of State for National Development and for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan told reporters that the changes are part of efforts to encourage more tourist attractions in Singapore.

“I've been speaking to SNBA, SRO to see how we can better partner them to make use of many of the big events, for example, MICE events (and) F1, to bring global tourists down to Boat Quay and to liven up the place,” he said.

Singapore Nightlife Business Association president Danny Loong said that “we were really candid in our meetings” with the authorities.

He said his association represents nightlife businesses from sectors such as MICE, hospitality, concert promoters and tourist attractions.

“So we tried to get all the feedback from our members and also stakeholders, and then present a complete picture to the government agencies and say, these are the issues we have to deal with,” said Mr Loong, who took the helm of the association last month.

Mr Loong said the change in rules is one of the positive steps the industry is taking to make the nightlife scene more vibrant.

He added that the extension of alcohol sales hours definitely helps businesses, as it lets them maximise the returns on their rental fees.

“I think the important point here is that building communities and new experiences, you need to be able to have placemaking and event management opportunities,” he said.

SECURITY A PRIORITY

However, even as the government relaxes its regulatory stance in these areas, the safety and security of visitors remains a priority, noted the ministries.

“The government will work with local stakeholders to ensure that they take more responsibility for the law-and-order situation there, including stepping up private security deployments and infrastructural security measures,” they said.

“The respective agencies will also work with local stakeholders to ensure responsible management of the nightlife spaces and public areas at these locations.”

While "broader security" will always be provided by the police, the authorities have asked business owners to take some responsibility as part of the relaxation measures, said Mr Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister.

“It's a balance. We open up more, we can expect some more incidents, and we want to make sure that it doesn't get out of hand, and they also have a responsibility to try ... so they will put in some security officers to do some controlling,” he said.

He added that Singapore River One has put some contingency plans in place, and “we will monitor the outcomes”.

Singapore River One is an organisation created in 2012 as the place manager of the Singapore River precinct, encompassing Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, and Robertson Quay.

Ms Michelle Koh, executive director of Singapore River One, said that the government agencies are “naturally” worried about security, so her organisation is stepping up its measures, like hiring more security guards to conduct roving patrols.

She said the additional measures will be funded through a combination of collecting some administrative fees from business operators, and also from Singapore River One’s placemaking fees.

Mr Shanmugam said the authorities will assess the law and order and security situation in the area and respond accordingly.

“We want the pilot to succeed. We want the place to be vibrant. We want, in fact, as much relaxation as possible. So we'll try it out,” he said.