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ALJUNIED Town Council is coming down hard on shopkeepers who flout fire-safety rules, following the Hougang fire on Sept 13 in which two siblings died.
Its take-no-prisoners approach will kick in on Oct 1, when Certis Cisco officers will patrol the neighbourhoods to ensure shopkeepers fall in with the new rules on displaying their wares.
Shopkeepers who want to continue renting the space delineated by a yellow box outside their shops to display their goods have to sign a new two-year lease that will take effect from Oct 1.
Along with their application, they will have to turn in sketches which show how they propose to use the space, what they will display there and how they will meet fire-safety requirements.
They were notified of these requirements in April, and had a dialogue with their MPs in July.
Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua, who chairs the town council, has had to decline three appeals by shop owners last week alone for a 'stay of execution''.
One shopkeeper argued that he had bought goods in bulk and had nowhere to store them.
Another asked if he could hire a watchman to look after the stock he had brought in for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which he stored outside.
Madam Phua said shopkeepers had to understand that the goods could fuel fires and block evacuation routes.
The pre-dawn Hougang fire swept through the display racks so quickly, the watchman hired to look after the goods could not put it out even though a fire extinguisher was on hand.
Tired of playing a cat-and-mouse game with shopkeepers who comply one day only to repeat the offence the next, the council will fine these errant shopkeepers, take them to court or even work with the Housing Board to revoke their tenancy.
But fines, which range from $100 to $1,000, are small change to some shopkeepers, noted Madam Phua.
She said she knew of one Hougang Street 21 shopkeeper who repeatedly left his seven refrigerators outside the approved area marked out by the yellow box. He received 11 summonses.
After he was served a court order last month, he removed all his refrigerators immediately.
Said Madam Phua: 'News that we took such an action spread fast. More shop owners complied with the rules after that, but then unfortunately, the Hougang fire happened.'
Aljunied is not the only town council carrying out such enforcement.
East Coast, Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar town councils also routinely send officers to inspect the shops in their jurisdiction.
Shop owners who ignore warnings and continue to breach the rules can be fined as much as $5,000 in East Coast.
Over at Tanjong Pagar, the initial fine of $100 is doubled with each repeat offence. A circular was sent to tenants over the weekend to remind them to keep passageways clear following the Hougang fire.
Jalan Besar also said it is stepping up enforcement action, which now includes verbal advice, warning letters and $75 fines.
tracysua@sph.com.sg
joolin@sph.com.sg
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