4,500 diners reminded to return trays as dining in resumes

Enforcement officers spoke to thousands of diners at hawker centres about returning their trays to tray stations, after dining in was allowed to resume on Monday.

Speaking at North Bridge Road Market and Food Centre yesterday morning, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor said officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) had advised more than 4,500 diners not to forget to return their trays.

When The Straits Times visited three hawker centres yesterday, most diners were seen returning trays on their own.

More than 10 people were seen returning their trays and cutlery to tray stations at the North Bridge Road food centre, while only a few did not do so at the Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre.

NEA officers were seen at two of the three hawker centres.

Diners have had to return their trays and clear their tables of litter since June 1, but no enforcement action will be taken until after Aug 31, as part of an effort to help diners adjust, the NEA had said on May 14.

Dining in at eateries resumed on Monday after being disallowed during Singapore's phase two (heightened alert) measures, which kicked in on May 16.

While being able to eat out again is a welcome development, Dr Khor said, there are "considerable risks" associated with dining at public places and it is critical to maintain high standards of cleanliness.

She said: "This is all the more important in the light of the recent Bukit Merah View cluster where, currently, it is not possible to rule out the transmission of Covid-19 through the use of common spaces."

From Sept 1, enforcement action will be taken against those who do not clear their trays at hawker centres, a move that comes after years of extensive educational efforts to change the behaviour and mindsets of diners.

First-time offenders will be given a written warning, and subsequent offences may result in fines.

Action will not be taken against those unable to clear their tables, such as the elderly.

Enforcement will be progressively rolled out at coffee shops and foodcourts in the fourth quarter of this year.

Dr Khor said the NEA is also working with stakeholders, such as cleaning companies, to revise the table cleaning workflow for cleaners.

The new workflow will focus on cleaning and sanitising of tables and managing tray return stations.

NEA will also be setting up 75 more tray return stations at hawker centres, in addition to the 900 available now.

Most diners, hawkers and cleaners said they knew that returning trays is now mandatory.

They welcomed the move, although some diners had mixed feelings about it.

Mr Muru Nagaraju, 52, a freelance corporate trainer, said: "I'm very happy, but also a bit sad. I thought that Singaporeans would be civic-minded enough without having this law. Hopefully, people will start returning their trays more."

Ms Rachel Cheng said she was not aware that it was now mandatory, despite returning her tray after her meal. The 32-year-old, who works in e-commerce, said: "Giving people fines seems a bit heavy-handed. It is a good social norm to cultivate but fines do seem punitive."

Hawkers and cleaners believe the new move benefits everyone.

Ms Saadah Zulkifli, 24, who runs a satay stall in Clementi, said: "Sometimes the cleaner will need time to clear the plates. There are tables in front of my store and it is unhygienic because birds will come and pick at the leftover food on the plates."

Some cleaners said that while more people have been returning trays, many diners still do not have the habit of clearing table litter, such as food remnants, while others are uncooperative.

Mr Ng Tian Sang, 70, works as a cleaner at the North Bridge Road food centre.

He said: "Sometimes, diners still tell us that as long as we are cleaners, it is our job to clear the tables for them."