Kovan shopping mall charges entry fee only for toilets on ground floor, sparks debate

Would you rather pay 20 cents or dash up to the second floor to relieve your bladder for free? 

That's the decision shoppers have to make at Heartland Mall in Kovan. 

The mall had implemented a 20-cent charge for usage of the ground-floor toilets a few months ago, reported Shin Min Daily News on Friday (Jan 13). 

However, toilets on the second and third floors are free to use for all. 

Apart from a table to deposit the money, a cleaner is also stationed outside the ground-floor toilet to remind users who aren't keen on paying to head upstairs instead. 

But why the disparity? 

A notice outside the toilet explained that the fee was implemented due to the rising costs of toilet maintenance. Additionally, it's to reduce human congestion at the first-floor toilet. 

20 cents too expensive 

One mall employee shared that before the fee was in place, diners and hawkers from the nearby Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre would use the toilets on the ground floor. 

This meant that during peak hours, the toilet would be overcrowded. 

But the situation has improved after the fee was implemented, said the employee. 

On the other hand, other merchants shared that while the crowding on the ground floor toilets has been alleviated, those located on the second and third floors have become more packed. 

"Those who don't want to pay the fee will go to the second floor. But the toilet there is very small and if there are many people, it's inconvenient to go back to the toilets on the ground or third floor," explained one merchant. 

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Hawkers and diners from the nearby food centre aren't very pleased either. 

Currently, there's a 10 cents charge to use the toilet at this hawker centre, cheaper than the 20 cents that Heartland Mall is charging. 

Speaking to the Chinese daily, one 60-year-old hawker who owns a drink stall shared that he used to frequent the mall's toilets as they are cleaner. 

However, with the new entrance fee, he now uses the one at the hawker centre instead. 

"The shopping mall introduced the new regulations about four months ago. I can understand that they want to control the crowds, but 20 cents to use the toilet is too expensive," he said.

However, 16-year-old Amanda felt that it is more convenient and hygienic to use the toilet at the mall if she's dining near there. 

"If I'm urgent, I'll pay 20 cents and use the toilet on the first floor, and I won't have to worry about queuing," she added.

Lack of toilets for men 

Another issue some have pointed out is the lack of toilets for men on the second floor. 

One member of the public surnamed Huang shared that because of this, he has to go all the way up to the third floor to use the toilet for free. 

"I don't mind paying money to use the toilet on the ground floor, but it takes time to open my bag and find my wallet," he shared. 

Some may wonder why some public toilets across Singapore require entry fees. 

Last June, toilet caretaker Kumar at Pek Kio Market & Food Centre explained that the purchase of chemicals and tissues for the toilet all come out of his own pocket. 

He also revealed that he averages between 12 and 14 hours of work a day and only takes a day off once every three months, when the hawker centre is closed.

melissateo@asiaone.com