Singapore business owners are getting more flexibility over where they can park heavy vehicles overnight, while residents in Tampines were alerted to a dangerous air-conditioner unit dangling from a fifth-floor flat.
At the same time, 28 hawker centres across Singapore are temporarily closing for scheduled cleaning, and actress Chen Xiuhuan has spoken about her disappointment after the sudden shutdown of True Fitness left members facing uncertainty over prepaid memberships and packages.
Here are four of the day’s key stories.
1. SMEs get more flexibility over heavy vehicle parking
From Sept 15, owners of heavy goods vehicles and certain buses will have a new way to meet Singapore’s overnight parking requirements.
Under the new lodgement service, heavy vehicle owners can park overnight at suitable private, non-residential premises that are not officially designated as licensed heavy vehicle parking spaces, provided they have the consent of the premises owner.
The arrangement is aimed at giving businesses more flexibility as the operational needs of Singapore’s logistics and transport industries evolve.
The new service applies to heavy goods vehicles and concrete mixers with a maximum laden weight of more than 5,000kg, as well as buses carrying more than 15 passengers, excluding the driver.
Instead of securing a designated parking lot, vehicle owners can lodge their parking location through the OneMotoring digital service and submit proof that the premises owner has agreed to the arrangement.
Each lodgement is free and can cover a period of up to two years.
Once approved, the acknowledgement from the Land Transport Authority will satisfy the overnight parking requirement for purposes including registering a new vehicle, transferring ownership or renewing road tax.
The change expands the existing Vehicle Parking Certificate scheme, which has been in place since 1994.
The government has also acknowledged that the demand for heavy vehicle parking remains high. As of Sept 1, Singapore had 35,712 licensed private heavy vehicle parking lots, with an overall utilisation rate of 99 per cent.
However, the new flexibility does not mean heavy vehicles can simply be parked anywhere.
Owners must still comply with existing parking rules and ensure their arrangements do not create safety hazards or public disamenities.
There is also no change to the prohibition on parking heavy vehicles on public roads or in residential estates.
2. Air-conditioner compressor dangles from fifth-floor Tampines flat
Residents at a Tampines HDB block were confronted with a potentially dangerous sight after an air-conditioner bracket and compressor became partially detached from a fifth-floor flat.
The incident occurred at Block 732 Tampines Street 71 on Sept 13.
Photographs showed the compressor hanging from the exterior of the building, apparently supported only by its connecting pipes and cables.
The metal bracket holding the unit had also become partially dislodged, with only one of its two arms still attached to the facade.
A cordon was placed on the ground below the affected unit while a town council worker attended to the situation. Police were also seen at the block.
Relevant agencies contacted the flat owner, who arranged for urgent rectification works.
By about 5.20pm, both the compressor and damaged bracket had been removed.
The incident also highlights the legal responsibility of flat owners to properly maintain air-conditioning units.
Under Singapore’s Building Control Regulations, owners can face a fine of up to $20,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both if an air-conditioning condensing unit or its supporting structure falls because of inadequate maintenance.
Residents are also advised to engage installers trained by the Building and Construction Authority when installing or replacing air-conditioning condensing units.
3. 28 hawker centres to close temporarily for cleaning
Food lovers planning where to eat this week may need to check operating schedules, with 28 hawker centres across Singapore closing temporarily for cleaning.
The closures run from Sept 14 to Sept 20, with individual centres shutting for between one and four days.
The affected venues include popular food destinations such as Maxwell Food Centre, Whampoa Drive Makan Place, Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre, Holland Drive Market and Food Centre, and Amoy Street Food Centre.
Several centres are scheduled to close for two or three days, while others will shut for only a single day.
The cleaning programme is part of regular maintenance carried out to keep Singapore’s markets and hawker centres clean and hygienic.
Two other centres — Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre and Block 726 Clementi West Street 2 — are also undergoing longer repair and redecoration works.
Those projects are expected to continue until December.
Singapore has a total of 123 markets and hawker centres, making regular cleaning and maintenance an important part of keeping the country’s hawker network operational.
Consumers planning meals at affected centres should check whether their preferred stalls are operating elsewhere or wait until the cleaning period is completed.
4. Chen Xiuhuan ‘heartbroken’ after True Fitness closure
Local actress Chen Xiuhuan has spoken publicly about the sudden closure of True Fitness, revealing that she had been a member since 2017 and held a lifetime membership.
The actress, who turns 61 next month, said she discovered the closure when she tried to use the gym’s app.
She had been visiting the gym almost three times a week and described workouts, classes, trainers and familiar faces there as a regular part of her life.
The sudden shutdown left her disappointed and uncertain about where she would continue her fitness routine.
Her financial exposure to the closure was also significant.
Chen said she had recently completed a 24-session personal training package and had been preparing to renew it before her daughter returned from overseas.
She also expressed doubt that members would recover money paid for unused services following the company’s liquidation.
True Fitness and True Yoga shut their Singapore operations after their parent company, Kontafarma China Holdings, said the businesses were unable to continue because of their liabilities.
The closure has affected thousands of consumers.
As of Sept 11, the Consumers Association of Singapore had received 241 complaints involving more than $609,000 in reported losses from unused memberships, packages and services.
Consumer advocates have urged customers to be cautious when making large upfront payments for services and to consider shorter-term payment arrangements where possible.
The sudden collapse of True Fitness has also triggered rival gyms to offer promotions aimed at former members, underscoring how quickly Singapore’s fitness industry is responding to the fallout.
What these stories say about life in Singapore
The four developments cover very different aspects of daily life, but they all point to issues that affect residents and businesses directly — from the cost and practicality of running commercial vehicles to building safety, food-centre maintenance and consumer protection.
For businesses, the new heavy vehicle parking system could ease a long-standing operational headache.
For homeowners, the Tampines incident is a reminder that exterior fixtures require regular maintenance.
For diners, the hawker-centre closures are temporary disruptions designed to keep public food spaces clean and safe.
And for consumers, the True Fitness collapse is a warning about the risks of paying large sums upfront for long-term services.
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