New stops along Changi Business Park Vista, Aviation Park Road for SBS bus services 20 and 35
SINGAPORE - SBS bus services 20 and 35 will call at a total of three additional bus stops along Changi Business Park Vista and Aviation Park Road from Dec 26. Bus service 20 will call at a new bus stop after Changi Business Park Crescent. The stop is opposite the Haite Building and Rigel Innovation Centre, and en route from Tampines bus interchange to Changi Business Park Avenue 3. Bus service 35 will call at two new bus stops along Aviation Park Road, with one before Changi Coast Road towards Bedok bus interchange, and one after Changi Coast Road towards Alps Avenue. The new bus stops will better serve the travel needs of commuters, SBS Transit said on Monday (Dec 13). It added there will be no change to the buses' routes and operating details. More on this topic Related Story Three bus services plying sectors along Downtown Line to be rerouted Related Story Public transport fares to rise by 3 to 4 cents for adults from Dec 26
Retail takes off at airport terminals and Jewel amid looming headwinds
SINGAPORE - Shops at the airport terminals and those at Jewel Changi Airport mall are starting to see some signs of life again, bolstered by the easing of social restrictions and the launch of vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs). But the looming threat of the Omicron variant has some retail staff concerned, even though there has not been a significant drop in foot traffic. When The Straits Times visited Terminals 1 and 3 on Wednesday afternoon (Dec 1), some restaurants were already half full at 5.30pm. Mr Martin Lee, who works at Le Shrimp Ramen, said: "The lunch crowd is a hit or miss, but the dinner crowd is definitely busier. On weekends, it can be a full house and the waiting time can stretch up to 20 minutes." The restaurant, which is located at the basement of Terminal 3, started to see a spike in traffic about two weeks ago, when up to five people from different households were allowed to dine out. While customers are still mainly locals, some shops are also starting to see travellers trickling in, with the launch of air VTLs. Singapore has so far announced a total of 27 air VTLs. Countries on the scheme include Indonesia, Australia and India. Mr Priyara Singh, manager of TGM & R...
Changi Airport T1 and T3 reopen to public 3 months after Covid-19 cluster found
SINGAPORE - Staff of several stores and eateries returned to Changi Airport's Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 for the first time in more than three months on Wednesday (Sept 1). Traffic at the two terminals was light on Wednesday morning as they reopened to the public, but retail staff working there were hopeful of crowds returning on the weekend. Ms Izzul Faqihah, who works at the Ichikokudo Ramen, said she was excited to take on her new role as store manager. "I am excited to be back… it's quieter than usual today, but I think customers will know that there are no more cases and they will feel safe coming here," she said. "I went to Jewel Changi Airport last week and it was quite crowded, so hopefully some of them will come here." She expects crowds to also return with the start of the September school holidays next week. She said the store had received reservations for the weekend. When The Straits Times visited Terminal 3's basement two on Wednesday morning, a few stores were still closed and most of the people around were airport workers. A clothing shop employee, who wanted to be known only as Ms Yang, said the airport was quieter than usual on a weekday morning, but she hoped it w...
Man’s jail term extended by 10 months after he bit off part of fellow inmate’s ear in prison fight
SINGAPORE - A recalcitrant offender who is currently serving a jail sentence for earlier offences has had his prison stint extended after he bit off part of a fellow inmate's left ear in a fight. The 53-year-old victim, Lim Lee Yat, is now permanently disfigured as doctors could not reattach the severed part of his ear. His attacker, Teo Chye Lye, who has been in and out of jail since 1998 for crimes including assault and criminal intimidation, was last sent to prison in 2016 for drug-related offences. The 56-year-old Singaporean was on Friday (Aug 6) sentenced to 10 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Lim. He will start serving this sentence after completing his earlier one. Deputy Public Prosecutor Gabriel Lim said that the two inmates were in a workshop at Changi Prison shortly before the fight broke out on Dec 15 last year. They were packing coffee sachets when Teo used his hand to push some of the spilled coffee mix to Lim's side of the work table. As a result, the younger man had to work on more packages. A quarrel broke out between the two and Teo told Lim to "not be so calculative". The DPP said: "The verbal dispute then escalated when the victim punched th...
NParks staff, volunteers promote good etiquette at Changi Beach at low tide
SINGAPORE - Dawn had not yet broken at 6am on Sunday (June 27) but people were already out on the mudflats of Changi Beach, exploring the area at low tide. As they peered into tiny holes in the seabed and sought marine creatures among the blades of seagrass, volunteers and staff from the National Parks Board (NParks) kept a close watch. "Just look, don't touch," Madam Doreen Foo, 44, one of the volunteer guides, was overheard reminding a family of four. She pointed out to them a cake sea star that had been exposed by the retreating waters. A rare find, she added. Madam Foo, a marketing assistant manager, was among those who volunteered with NParks to patrol the nation's accessible seashores over the weekend, to remind beachgoers not to handle marine life in a way that could be harmful. Other than Changi Beach, patrols were conducted in other places such as Pasir Ris Park. Tides on Saturday and Sunday were low, exposing large tracts of the seafloor and the bounty that lie in and on them: warty sea cucumbers, anemones, sea stars and many different types of crabs. The patrols by NParks staff and volunteers come after crowds were seen flocking to the intertidal areas of Changi Beach, d...
Front-line workers, including cleaners, at Changi Airport to get $50 ez-link card
SINGAPORE - A thousand front-line workers at Changi Airport will receive ez-link cards with a stored value of $50 as a gift next month. The move to help with their transport costs is the result of a ground-up initiative by about 70 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) officers who wanted to show their appreciation for the workers. Calling themselves Friends for Aviation (FFA), the group of officers said on Saturday (June 12) that cleaners, trolley and baggage handlers will be among the workers to benefit. FFA said that some of these workers now needed to travel more often for their routine Covid-19 testing, following stepped-up measures at the airport last month to guard against another cluster of Covid-19 cases emerging. A total of 43 workers at Changi tested positive for Covid-19 last month. This resulted in the closure of the terminal buildings to the public for an initial two weeks. The closure has now been extended indefinitely to allow the airport community to adjust to new safety measures. FFA's founder, Ms Angela Ng, who works as an aviation policy officer at CAAS, said the Covid-19 outbreak at Changi has added to the challenges in the aviation sector, which has bee...
Changi Airport cluster originated from zone that received travellers from higher-risk places
SINGAPORE - Workers infected with Covid-19 at Changi Airport had mainly been working in one zone that had received travellers from higher-risk countries, including South Asia. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Friday (May 14) that the airport identified this trend after studying the 20-plus initial infections at the airport cluster. "Most (of these infections) in fact congregate around one zone," said Mr Ong. "This is a zone with a finger pier that receives higher-risk countries' (passenger) arrivals, including South Asia." A finger pier is an extension that juts out from the terminal, with its own gatehold lounges. This zone includes the conveyor belt and immigration area that the passengers pass through, Mr Ong said during a press conference by the task force combating the Covid-19 outbreak. The zone is the Changi Airport cluster's equivalent of Ward 9D at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where several people were initially found to be infected. "From that zone, workers go (to) have their meals at the Terminal 3 Basement 2 commercial area and foodcourt, and we suspect that, from there, it transmitted to members of the public who visited the place." On May 8, an 18-year-old Victoria J...
Workers go for Covid-19 tests on first day of Changi Airport’s closure to the public
SINGAPORE - Changi Airport turned silent on the first day of its closure to the public, even though there was a steady stream of airport workers returning for their Covid-19 swab tests. A few shoppers, unaware of the temporary closure of Jewel and restricted access to the terminal buildings, showed up. But they were turned away. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) had announced on Wednesday night (May 12) that they would allow only some workers and travellers to access the airport terminal buildings for two weeks from Thursday. Jewel would be closed during this period too. The closure comes as the authorities embark on a massive Covid-19 testing of airport workers following a surge in the number of Covid-19 daily cases linked to a cleaner at the airport. CAAS and CAG said they will continue to review and adjust measures as needed. This includes extending the closure if necessary. When The Straits Times visited the area around Terminal 3 on Thursday morning, a few people were seen walking around inside in full personal protective equipment. The departure hall was largely empty, except for a handful of people with their luggage. The entranc...
Swabbing underway at Changi Airport after 8 staff test positive for Covid-19
SINGAPORE - Staff turned up at Changi Airport on Monday morning (May 10) for a special Covid-19 testing operation for about 9,000 workers, to find hidden cases. This comes after four workers were reported to have Covid-19 on Sunday (May 9), bringing the cluster at Changi Airport to eight. All workers at Changi Airport's operating terminals will be tested, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) on Sunday night. Food and beverage and retail outlets at Basement 2 of Terminal 3 (T3) have also been closed to the public as of Monday, and all staff also have to test negative for Covid-19 before their outlets are allowed to reopen. Some airport staff said they had only been notified on Monday morning about the swabbing exercise. The first case in this cluster was detected last Wednesday (May 5), when an 88-year-old cleaner tested positive for Covid-19. Certis Cisco staff and construction workers were among those lining up at the swabbing facility at Terminal 4 on Monday morning. People were seen arriving on shuttle buses from Terminal 3 and public buses. An airport worker member who had been swabbed told The Straits Times: "I am worried but I'm...
Local retailer Naiise closes last store at Jewel Changi, may wind up operations
SINGAPORE - Multi-label retailer Naiise may wind up, after years of payment delays to its vendors. It said on Friday (April 9) that it is closing its last store at Jewel Changi Airport. Jewel Changi Airport confirmed to The Straits Times on Saturday that the retailer will be closing its outlet at the mall. "A tenant has been found to take over the space and this will be shared when the store is ready to open," its spokesman said. In a video posted on Facebook on Friday by debt collectors, Naiise founder Dennis Tay could be seen explaining that he is unable to pay back their client Bespoke Parfums Artisanaux, which said it is owed about $10,000. Citing factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic and weak retail sales, Mr Tay explained that he was unable to honour the debt repayment plan he had promised some vendors due to a lack of funds. Another man in the video who identified himself as Mr Tay's financial advisor added: "When a private limited (company) closes, the liquidator will split whatever assets we have." Asked if Naiise was taking the path that department store operator Robinsons took, the man said: "It is exactly like Robinsons." Last October, Robinsons said it had been put und...