“I hope this place (will) be brighter because the light is not so good,” said one hawker, adding he hopes more wash basins can be installed for customers to use.
Another hawker lamented that cooking fumes from hawker stalls at times spread to the dining area in front of his stall, causing a smoky odour to hang in the air.
Lifts – or lack thereof – are also an issue. Only two lifts service the entire food centre on the second level of the complex.
Businesses said it can take up to 15 minutes for their goods to be delivered from the ground floor, while those using personal mobility aids – such as the elderly – also have to rely on the two lifts to get to the food centre.
Mr Cornelius Tan, chairman of the Chinatown Complex Hawker Association, said its members had approached the area’s Member of Parliament Josephine Teo for help.
Mrs Teo, who is also the Minister for Digital Development and Information, then set up a task force comprising the association as well as the National Environment Agency (NEA), Housing and Development Board, and Jalan Besar Town Council.
“We sat together to get the requirements together, and they listened to what are the areas that we hope to seek improvements in. (This is) especially when it comes to accessibility,” said Mr Tan.
“The complex is too big and we have too many columns and beams, so there are many times seniors get into the complex but they have difficulty navigating around, and so they tend to only stay in a small area.”
He said the task force will examine ways to make Chinatown Complex more elderly friendly and easier to navigate.
