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The
Straits Times, 20 Nov 04
2004 Gripes aplenty as 115,000 visitors
swamp Sentosa
By Arti Mulchand & Liza Lin
'We should've been better prepared for holiday crowd,' say operators
AN OVERWHELMING 115,000 people thronged Sentosa over the long Deepavali-Hari
Raya holiday weekend, causing many to complain bitterly about stinking
toilets, eyesore litter painfully long waits for transport.
Although the five-day figure is not a record high, Sentosa Leisure
Group, which manages the resort island, as well as Underwater World
Singapore, acknowledged yesterday that it could have done more to
beef the place up further for the surge.
On Monday, the holiday following Hari Raya Puasa on Sunday, the crowds
swelled to 23,000, about double the usual 10,000 to 15,000 that crowd
the popular resort at the weekend.
Among them was Mr Philip John Williams, who was there with his family
of five and two friends. He said in a letter to The Straits Times
Forum page on Thursday: 'We left after no more than three hours, vowing
never to return.' What drove them away, he said, were the 'filthy'
eating areas, the wait for monorail trains, and service, which, he
said, showed that 'while our costs are first class, our attractions
and services are Third World'. When contacted, Mr Williams, 51, a
former Briton who became a Singapore citizen more than 30 years ago,
told The Straits Times: 'It's supposed to be a premier spot but it's
gone to ruins.' He said the wait for the monorail, that takes visitors
to many of the tourist attractions, could have been as long as 50
to 60 minutes, forcing him to walk to Underwater World.
Sentosa Leisure Group, in response to the criticisms, said all 11
monorail trains had been used throughout the day and more buses had
been deployed in anticipation of the crowd. Underwater World had increased
its staff. But the extras were apparently not enough. Said its media
communications manager Eileen Lee: 'We know the monorail is a problem
and are setting up an alternative rail system, the Sentosa Express,
which will be faster, more efficient, more comfortable and transport
more people. 'But that comes onstream only later,' she added.
Mr Williams also took issue with the Aquarium Cafeteria, where he
said the 'tables were covered with plates, grease and food remnants,
and the floor awash with the same'. The cafe's manager, Mr Simon Lo,
57, said Mr Williams' complaint was the first in the three years he
had been running the place. He pointed out that Mr Williams was there
at peak-hour when there were about 250 customers and the three cleaners
were very busy. Newly-weds Ian and Kate Johnston, from Scotland, criticised
the state of the toilets, saying the smell was appalling. Said Mrs
Johnston, 27: 'It smelt like they hadn't been cleaned for three weeks.'
Mr Williams also complained that the dispensers had no soap and, when
filled, it was diluted soap. Mr Kwek Meng Tiam, operations manager
of Underwater World which oversees the cafe, said it has been fixed,
but when The Straits Times visited the place on Thursday, one dispenser
was empty and soap in the other was diluted. At the cafe, plates and
tissues littered some tables and the floor. As for Underwater World,
Mr Kwek pointed out there was a lift and a door for visitors who could
not manage the stairs and turnstiles. Mr Williams had not been aware
of either. Likewise, Indonesian tourist Santos Noor, 34. Both have
young children in strollers.
Mr Williams has turned down offers of a refund of the admission fee
to the island and Underwater World, saying: 'That is not the point.
What I hope is that they fix the problems. 'If we Singaporeans don't
want to go back, tourists won't want to either. They'll remember the
worst of Singapore.'
Incidentally, less than two weeks ago, Sentosa's staff won 114 awards
for service excellence from Spring Singapore. |
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