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Heartland Mall in Kovan charges patrons S$0.20 to use the restrooms on the mall's first floor.
However, this fee is not applicable for the use of toilets on other floors.
Fee for ground floor toilet
The mall's first floor toilet has a staff seated right outside to collect money from patrons who want to use it.
A sign plastered on the wall reads:
"All users to Level 1 Toilet will be charged 20 cents per entry with immediate effect."
It also informs the public that the use of toilets on the second and third floors are free of charge.
"Please feel free to proceed to (the) upper floors," it writes.
The mall has a female restroom on the second floor and two restrooms on the third floor for ladies and gents.
It also explains: "We seek your kind understanding and co-operation as this is necessary to minimise overcrowding and defray rising maintenance cost."
A sign outside the ground floor toilet.
Right next to a hawker centre
The mall is situated next to Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre.
Shin Min Daily News spoke to an employee at the mall who said that diners and store vendors from the hawker centre often use the restrooms at the mall, especially the one on the ground level.
Another staff also commented that the food centre charges S$0.10 for its own restrooms, so patrons chose to go to the one in the mall.
As such, that toilet would see crowds during peak hours.
Since the mall implemented the fee around four months back, the crowds have dispersed.
However, the fees only led crowds to the toilets on the higher floors, some merchants told Shin Min Daily News.
No queue at 1st floor toilet
On Sunday (Jan. 15) at around 2:30 pm, our writer visited the mall and observed that the ground toilet was clean and had no queue.
But toilets on the other floors saw queues this Sunday afternoon.
Queue at the level two toilet.
The writer observed that it was just as clean as the one on the ground level.
Vendors and staff don't have to pay
According to a 60-year-old drink store vendor at the market, he used to go to the mall's toilets as they are cleaner. But since the S$0.20 fee is "too expensive", he opts to go to the one in the hawker centre.
Store vendors don't have to pay for toilets at the hawker centre as they pay a management fee every month, another vendor told Shin Min Daily News.
A Heartland Mall staff said that if he tells the toilet attendant that he works there, he doesn't have to pay the entry fee.
Ultimately, patrons are the ones who will feel the effects of the S$0.20 charge.
Mothership has reached out to Heartland Mall for more information.
Images via Mothership.