SINGAPORE: Aside from commuters, businesses near the Buona Vista train station said their sales dropped up to 70 per cent amid the train disruption on the East-West Line.
Since Wednesday, Sept 25, MRT services between Jurong East and Buona Vista have been suspended because of a train fault and damage to tracks and equipment.
This has resulted in fewer people visiting malls and food courts in the area, Channel News Asia and Shin Min Daily News reported on Saturday, Sept 28.
According to AsiaOne, when Shin Min reporters visited the area, employees from various F&B establishments expressed concerns about the drastic customer decline. A 22-year-old employee at a cafe, Yu, mentioned that the lunchtime rush had halved.
“Usually, around lunchtime, the stairs in the central area will be full of people, but there haven’t been many people there these few days,” he said.
Alice, an 18-year-old working at a dessert shop, shared a similar story. She estimated a drop in business between 60 and 70 per cent over the past two days, lamenting the lack of patrons compared to their typical lunchtime bustle.
She hoped the services would return so their usual lunchtime crowd would return. Many business owners believe that their regular customers, mostly office workers, have switched to working from home during the disruptions.
An employee at Peach Garden restaurant mentioned that three customers cancelled reservations because it’s now easier for them to stay home. She noted, “Perhaps getting here is no less inconvenient.”
Another shop employee said a customer had pre-ordered a pair of shoes for collection but would instead pick them up after the train services were restored.
While businesses at Buona Vista MRT station faced challenges, some businesses reported a less severe impact, with sales dropping by 20 to 30 per cent.
Some shops have retained customers who still come to the station for shuttle services. A worker at a bubble tea shop said their earnings have fallen by $300 to $400, while an employee at a Cheers store reported that their business had not been seriously affected.
In Jurong East and Clementi, many businesses reported similar declines of around 20 to 30 per cent. Staff at J Connect, a shopping area in Jurong East, noted a drop in customer numbers.
One hair care product shop employee mentioned that foot traffic has decreased by about 20 to 30 per cent.
A bakery employee in the area also reported a drop in earnings by a few hundred dollars. She explained that customers had to take a detour to catch the shuttle bus, which meant they were no longer passing by the shop.
At Clementi Avenue 3, another bakery worker observed around 30 per cent fewer customers in recent days. “We have more free time when before, we would be busy all the way,” she said.
One hawker stall near the shuttle bus stop also reported a decrease of up to $300 in daily takings. Even though the stall is close to where people catch the bus, the usual crowd has not shown up.
However, other hawkers said that their business has not been significantly affected due to the large resident population and a nearby car park in the area.
Commuters across the Causeway have also been impacted. Hopefully, train services will resume as expected on Oct 1, benefiting commuters and businesses in the area. /TISG