Forum: Ensure hawker centres are clean and not just cleared of trays
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I have long been a strong proponent of the “clear your own tray” initiative in our hawker centres, and I continue to stand by it. Cultivating this habit is good for personal responsibility and for keeping shared spaces clean.
When the initiative was introduced, some critics argued that if diners cleared their trays, cleaners would lose their jobs. Minister Grace Fu, who championed the initiative at the time, assured the public that cleaners would not be displaced but redeployed to focus on cleaning tables and other tasks.
Since its full implementation in 2021, I have observed that most Singaporeans now clear their trays instinctively. Yet why do hawker centres still appear unclean? While trays are returned, many tables remain dirty after use.
In the past, cleaners would move around clearing trays and wiping tables. Today, however, many appear stationed almost exclusively at tray return points, and it is rare to see staff going around to clean tables.
This raises the question of whether manpower has been reduced since the initiative began. Could the critics have been correct after all that the move would result in an overall lack of cleaners?
During peak hours, even the tray stations seem understaffed, with cleaners struggling to keep up. The result is a dining environment that feels no cleaner than before.
From my observations downtown, the worst offender is Chinatown Complex, where tables often remain sticky and dirty even after trays are cleared. Maxwell Food Centre is somewhat in the middle, a little better than Chinatown but still far from ideal.
The exception seems to be Tiong Bahru Market, which remains one of the cleanest hawker centres around, suggesting that higher standards are possible if operations are managed well.
The tray-clearing initiative was meant to raise standards, not lower them. If manpower has indeed been reduced, then the original assurance given to the public must be revisited.
Singaporeans have done their part by clearing trays. It is now time for the relevant agencies and operators to do theirs to ensure our hawker centres are truly clean, not just cleared of trays.
Justin Kan Rui Liang
