'He ordered 30 plates of chicken rice': NUS students bemoan tourist crowds on campus

What happens when a diner in front of you orders 30 plates of chicken rice?

Well, one National University of Singapore (NUS) student who found herself in this situation had to give up on her order, she said in response to a vox pop question posed by HeyKaki on the problems brought about by the influx of tourists, one which has disrupted life on the campus. 

That student shared that she was queueing at one of the school's canteen then. 

"[The hawker] said they didn't have enough rice... They had enough chicken, but not rice," she lamented.

In HeyKaki's TikTok video posted on Friday (Aug 23), some of the eight NUS students interviewed bemoaned issues such as tourists squeezing onto campus shuttle buses, and packed school canteens.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@heykaki.sg/video/7406138101858323728?_r=1&_t=8p9s1jT9VEC[/embed]

One the other hand, another respondent said the high visitor traffic does not affect her: "I'm just like, 'Oh wow'. NUS is a normal thing to me, but people take it as a tourist spot."

When asked how they deal with issues, two of the students said they will leave for school 30 minutes earlier than usual. A student added that she will eat lunch at about 2pm, after the peak period.

In an internal email previously sent to students on Aug 14, the university said they are implementing measures to manage high visitor traffic on campus.

They include a pop-up visitor centre involving 40 student ambassadors paid to lead tour groups, increasing the frequency of shuttle buses and deploying staff at bus stops and canteens during peak periods.

In another circular on Aug 21, NUS said that tour buses entering school grounds will need to register for limited daily slots by January 2025, reported The Straits Times. Tour buses ferrying visitors for registered tours by NUS student ambassadors will be exempt.

All students running tours on campus must also register as student docents. 

Unlicensed tour guides found leading tours in NUS will be reported to the authorities, while students conducting unreserved tours will be subject to disciplinary action.

These new and longer-term measures will address the challenges around the high tourist traffic on campus during peak travel seasons and are to be ready in time for the next tourist peak season starting next January, said NUS in the circular.

ALSO READ: 'A meaningful and engaging experience': NUS to set up visitor centre, introduce guided walks for visitors to its campus

lim.kewei@asiaone.com