Trays, dirty dishes piled on tables and chairs at Chong Boon hawker centre spark netizens' concerns

A diner was left concerned after trays of cutlery and dirty dishes were left scattered across tables and seats at a hawker centre, preventing other patrons from using them.

In a Facebook video shared on Saturday (Jan 17), the user highlighted the incident, showing an overwhelming number of plates and trays piled on top of tables and chairs.

According to the post, the incident is believed to have occurred at Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, located at Block 453A, Ang Mo Kio Ave 10.

In the video, a woman can be seen clearing the plates alone. She appears shorthanded, given the large number of piled-up trays.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, one vendor, who wished to be known only as Zheng, said that the hawker centre's cleaning package, which used to cost about $1,200 a month had increased by $100 starting in January. 

The package includes both the washing of dishes as well as the return of the plates and cutlery to the respective stalls.

Despite the increase in cleaning fees, many vendors noted that the service had not improved. 

"There aren't enough cleaning workers, so sometimes we have to go and get [the used cutlery and dishes] ourselves," said the 56-year-old coffee stall owner. 

Another vendor, who declined to be named, said the service remained unsatisfactory despite the increased fees, noting that the dishes often require re-washing after being taken back to the stall.

Several diners also complained that the stacks of bowls and plates with leftover food have attracted crows and pigeons, creating a mess and an unsanitary environment, Shin Min reported.

A female cleaner at the hawker, who wished to be known only as Zhuo, told the Chinese daily that such situations often occur during peak dining hours. She added that the situation is impossible to manage due to limited staff.

"There are too many people eating at once, and there are only two people to clean up after a row of stalls. Some customers just pile their trays up on nearby tables and on the ground if there's no space on the shelves," said Zhuo.

She added that due to the different cleaning packages offered — another where dishes and cutlery are collected but not washed — more time is needed to sort and return them to the respective stalls. 

In the comments section to the video, several netizens noted that such scenes were common at hawker centres, while others highlighted the challenges caused by a lack of cleaners.

"One cleaner, how to handle? Some think there's no need to hire cleaners because people return their trays," said one user.

Another commented: "Manpower shortage [is] everywhere. I was at Marine Parade food centre and left my tray on my table while eating dessert. [The cleaner] didn't even bother to clear. If this continues, it's a total fail — tables are so dirty after diners leave."

Warnings issued to cleaning company 

According to Shin Min Daily News, Xu Qiangxing (transliteration), 70, chairman of Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, said the incident occurred because two cleaners were on medical leave that day.

"The supervisor did not make proper arrangements, and there was not enough manpower, which is why this happened," said Xu, who added that the issue was quickly resolved.

He added that two warnings had also been issued to the cleaning company on two prior occasions. 

"We warned them that we would have to replace the contractor if the same problem keeps recurring. I also talked to the contractor yesterday and asked him to come up with an alternative plan to prevent this from happening again."

[[nid:674831]]

xingying.koh@asiaone.com