In the interest of improving public hygiene standards in our food centres, I have some thoughts on amenities for keeping our hands clean.

Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, there has been more awareness about washing our hands regularly with soap.

I made a complaint to Bishan Town Council about the soap dispensers in Shunfu market being frequently empty or filled with greatly diluted soap.

There was a prompt response - the number of basins was increased from two to four and new soap dispensers were added.

For a while, things were fine, but soon, the dispensers were again often empty or filled with greatly diluted soap. Do we keep on calling the town council to intervene?

Bishan Town Council should impose a progressive penalty on the operator.

Then, there's the use of push taps. These should be replaced. Often, you have to keep one hand pressed on the tap to get the water going. How does one wash one's hands thoroughly with just one hand?

Ideally, these taps should be replaced with those that come with auto sensors like the ones at Sembawang hawker centre. It is also the most hygienic.

All soap dispenser canisters should be transparent, and the operators must make it a point to top them up regularly depending on user traffic at any given centre.

Information on who to contact for feedback on such matters should also be displayed more prominently than it is now.

There is a worldwide pandemic. Washing hands properly is an important matter.

Lim Poh Seng