SINGAPORE — The ban on alcohol consumption in public at Little India will continue every weekend, public holiday and eve of public holiday within the proclaimed area.

Police said these recalibrated measures will be in place for up to six months until the Committee of Inquiry (COI) makes its recommendations.

The measures will then be reviewed, taking into account recommendations by the COI and feedback from the ongoing public consultation.

For weekends, the ban will start from 6am on Saturdays and end at 6am on Mondays.

For public holidays and eve of public holidays, it would start at 6am on the eve and end at 6am the day after the public holiday.

The police announced this at a media conference today (Dec 18).

As for the sale of alcohol, shops holding retail and wholesale licences will be allowed to sell alcohol, but only from 6am until 8pm on weekends, eve of public holidays and on public holidays.

This will affect about 134 stakeholders and establishments such as liquor shops and convenience shops.

Thirdly, the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol on premises by shops holding public house and beer house licences will be lifted.

They will be allowed to sell various types of alcohol as permitted by their licences, but consumption must be within their premises.

Lifting the ban for these licences will affect about 240 stakeholders and establishments, such as restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops.

It will allow their customers to consume alcohol within the confines of their premises.

Meanwhile, the Land Transport Authority also announced that it would conduct measures to “improve operations" and mitigate traffic conditions within Little India.

All 25 bus operators will resume their services but bus services will be halved from the usual fleet of 250.

The bus services will also operate for shorter hours from 2pm to 9pm, instead of until 11pm. CHANNEL NEWSASIA WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MOHD AZHAR AZIZ