Alcohol curbs in Little India for up to six months

SINGAPORE — Starting this weekend, a raft of measures will be put in place in Little India for up to six months, to regulate the consumption and sale of alcohol as well as reduce traffic congestion.

The police announced yesterday that the consumption of alcohol in public spaces in the area will be prohibited on weekends, public holidays and the eve of public holidays — specifically, from 6am on Saturday to 6am on Monday, and from 6am on the eve of a public holiday to 6am the day after a public holiday.

Retail and wholesale shops can only sell alcohol from 6am to 8pm on weekends, public holidays and the eve of public holidays.

The Land Transport Authority will also cut by half the number of private buses transporting foreign workers from their dormitories to Little India on Sundays. The buses will operate from 2pm to 9pm, instead of 2pm to 11pm previously.

Currently, private operators run 25 bus services on Sundays to ferry about 20,000 to 23,000 foreign workers to the area.

The “re-calibrated” measures, as the police put it, came after the authorities imposed a temporary blanket ban last weekend on the consumption and sale of alcohol in Little India and stopped the private bus services.

The boundaries of the area proclaimed under the Public Order (Preservation) Act last week will remain the same. The area stretches from the intersection between Short Street and Selegie Road, Hampshire Road, Dorset Road, the junction of Serangoon Road and Beatty Road to the stretch along Jalan Besar. Police presence will continue to be stepped up in Little India as well as other places where foreign workers are known to congregate.

The measures will be in place until the Committee of Inquiry looking into the riot on Dec 8 completes its work and presents its recommendations.

Speaking at a press conference, Deputy Police Commissioner T Raja Kumar said the police took into consideration feedback from businesses and residents in Little India.

The Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, the Indian Restaurant Association of Singapore and grassroots representatives were also consulted, he said.

Currently, there are 374 establishments in the area which are licensed to sell alcohol. Of these, 240 hold public house and beer house licences. These include restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops. While they will not be affected by the revised measures, they are bound by the liquor licensing regime which the police will continue to enforce. For instance, their customers have to consume the alcohol within their premises and they are not allowed to sell liquor to drunk customers.

“The police will hold all liquor licence holders accountable for ensuring the conditions of their licence are fully complied with … licence holders risk losing their liquor licence should the police discover such breaches,” Mr Raja Kumar warned.

There are 134 establishments holding retail and wholesale licences, such as liquor shops and convenience shops. These will be subject to the restricted sale hours for alcohol that were announced yesterday.

Mr Raja Kumar said: “Allowing such outlets to sell till the late hours will adversely affect police efforts to enforce the ban on public consumption (of alcohol) in the area. The shortening of the retail hours will stop customers from having easy access to alcohol from these outlets during peak crowd periods.”

LTA Public Transport Group Director Yeo Teck Guan, who was also at the press conference, said the LTA is also looking at ways to ensure foreign workers queue for buses and improve the boarding process so that the buses are not parked for too long.

He added the LTA will continue what it did last Sunday in the coming months, including increasing the frequency of trains on the North East Line and having more public buses ply routes with high foreign worker ridership.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, the police said they were mindful of any potential spillover effect caused by the measures, including the possibility that foreign workers would congregate in other areas instead.

Last weekend, the police also increased its presence around the Golden Mile Complex and in Geylang, where Thai and Chinese workers like to gather respectively.

Its spokesperson said: “The police is aware that there could be displacement of the problem to other areas in Singapore. The police will step up its patrols and deployment at known congregation areas to deter and look for any potential public order incidents.”

On why restrictions were only imposed in Little India, she reiterated that the measures were introduced “to calm and stabilise the situation” in Little India and prevent further incidents following the riot. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AMANDA LEE

THE NEW MEASURES

Alcohol consumption in public places banned

Applies to all public places within the proclaimed area.

To be enforced on weekends (from 6am on Saturday to 6am on Monday), public holidays and eve of public holidays (from 6am on eve of public holiday to 6am the day after the public holiday).

Alcohol sale hours for retail, wholesale outlets shortened

Can only sell alcohol from 6am to 8pm on weekends, public holidays and eve of public holidays.

Applies to 134 establishments such as liquor shops and convenience shops.

Number of private buses ferrying foreign workers to Little India to be cut by 50%

The 25 bus services will also operate from 2pm to 9pm, instead of 2pm to 11pm previously, on Sundays.

The 240 restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops will not be affected, but remain bound by liquor licensing conditions. For example, patrons must consume the alcohol within their premises.