Jurong West Hawker Centre was in the news when it emerged that its hawkers had to pay 20 cents for every tray returned.

It was reported that some hawkers are paying up to S$900 for tray return charges, on top of S$1,100 cleaning fees.

The hawker centre is managed by Hawker Management as a not-for-profit social enterprise.

The parent company of Hawker Management is Koufu.

Petition signed

Some of the Jurong West hawkers have met up with Hawker Management, and the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Oct. 16.

A group of hawkers signed a petition against the 20 cent tray return surcharge.

This meeting was reported in Shin Min Daily News on Oct. 17.

According to the Chinese daily, both operator and hawkers are considering three options with regard to the 20 cent tray-return fee:

1. Abolish the 20 cent tray-return fee
2. Allow hawkers to increase prices by 20 cents
3. Make customers pay the 20 cents out of their pocket as a deposit to use the trays.

Under the third option, customers will be able to get back their 20 cent deposit when they return their trays.

According to SMDN, some hawkers were afraid that the inclusion of a extra 20 cents tray deposit will hurt their business more, which is already experiencing low footfall.

The hawkers that SMDN spoke to indicated that low footfall is the main issue that should be tackled.

According to a Straits Times article, slightly less than half of the stalls were closed when the paper visited on a weekday evening.

The paper also counted only 70 patrons in total.

On the other hand, Hawker Management said that the inclusion of the 20 cents tray return fee was meant to encourage customers to return their trays, which in turn reduces the amount of cleaning needed.

This supposedly helps hawkers reduce cleaning fees, which at S$1,100 per month. It is the lowest among all social enterprise hawker centres, according to Hawker Management.

The operator also mentioned to the paper that as a social enterprise hawker centre, it gave five entrepreneurs start-up subsidies and waived their rental for a month.

However, there are currently no new "hawkerpreneurs" at Jurong West Hawker Centre.

The previous entrepreneurs who set up shop at the hawker centre only lasted between five months and a year.

Problems with automated payment system

Another hawker, a 50-year-old Mrs Huang, took the opportunity to tell the Chinese daily that she also experienced problems with the automated payment system.

According to Huang, there was an occasion when the system overpaid a customer, a fact that she only found out at the end of the day.

Huang added that there were times the system could not pay customers their change.

This payment system costs hawkers about S$300 every month, according to Huang, but hasn't made payment easier for hawkers and customers:

"The system is supposed to make the payment process easier, but now, I have to get ready more than S$700 in cash, just in case the system can't pay customers their change."

The paper also said that talks between Hawker Management and the rest of the hawkers will continue after the talk.

Both sides are expected to come to a mutual agreement before the end of the week.

Top image via Google Maps