KF Seetoh suggests peak-hour surcharge for hawker centres so “the budget conscious and the cheapos can have their field day”

The founder of Makansutra and now advocate for local food and the hawker institution has come up with a novel solution for hawkers allowing them to make a little more in order to keep up with rising costs. His suggestion: peak hour surcharge for hawker centres.

He says with higher rates at peak hours and fat discounts for non-peak hours, “The budget conscious and the cheapos can have their field day”.

He suggests that since taxis have peak hour surcharges, ride-hailing services have surge pricing, and even hospitals have after-hours’ rates, hawkers too should be able to sell their products at a slightly higher price during rush hours.

He also adds this should include “a fat discount for off peak hours and a clear stock reduction price an hour before closure”.

On his Facebook page, Seetoh wrote, “It can also introduce a spilt lunch hour policy or choice in offices (tapau before 11.45am and eat in office lor). Think about it. Hawkers like you, too, need to make fair monies for their families, like you seeking a fair salary raise for all your hard work”.

TISG tried to pick Seetoh’s brain, and asked if this should apply to the already slightly more ‘atas’ hawker centres, such as those in the Central Business District (CBD), or if the hawkers should charge a bit more for the dinner rush as well.

He said that for peak hours, it would depend on where these hawkers were situated, and that for the option for surge pricing during dinner since not all hawkers cater to dinner./TISG