Tengah residents get interim amenities like grocery truck and vending machines, with some teething issues

SINGAPORE: Residents who have moved into their new homes at Tengah can buy food and daily necessities from a mobile grocery truck and vending machines while facilities are being built, the Housing Board (HDB) said on Wednesday (Dec 13).

These interim measures were recently introduced in Singapore's newest town, as amenities such as a supermarket, food court and shops are only expected to be ready around the second quarter of next year. 

Residents CNA spoke to generally welcomed the interim amenities, although some reported teething issues with the vending machines.

Tengah is estimated to provide about 42,000 new homes over a land area of 700ha when fully developed - about the size of Bishan town.

Of its five housing districts, Plantation District is the first to be developed, with eight Build-to-Order (BTO) projects launched. Since August, residents have started collecting keys for the first three projects – Plantation Acres, Plantation Grange and Plantation Village.

HDB said that as of Dec 5, about 2,019 households - more than half of the 3,753 units in the three housing projects - have collected their keys.

However in a new town like Tengah, the amenities and major transport facilities will take some time to build up, unlike BTO developments which are built within existing HDB towns, said Dr Johnny Wong, HDB deputy CEO (Building).

The district's Plantation Plaza Neighbourhood Centre, which is a five to 10-minute walk from Plantation Grange and Plantation Acres, will open around the second quarter of next year. Amenities include a supermarket, food court, F&B outlets, a clinic, shops and enrichment centres.

Plantation Plaza Neighbourhood Centre. 

(Photo: Housing & Development Board)

HDB said that the mobile grocery truck service, deployed by NTUC FairPrice, stocks staples and essential items such as bread, rice, milk, fresh produce, canned and instant foods, household goods and toiletries.

Open from 3pm to 8pm, it is stationed at the Plantation Acres loading bay near Block 111A, on Wednesdays and Fridays, and at the Plantation Grange first-storey car park near Block 133A, on Thursdays.

These operating hours could be finetuned after HDB and NTUC FairPrice monitor the demand, the Housing Board said.

The mobile grocery truck is set to operate until the second quarter of 2024 when the supermarket at Plantation Plaza is expected to open.

For food and drink, residents can turn to several vending machines at the void deck of Block 111A in Plantation Acres. There is a machine selling beverages, cut fruit and snacks, and another offering halal hot food items such as nasi lemak and nasi rendang. Two more vending machines will be added, said HDB.

Inside the mobile grocery truck at Tengah new town. 

(Photo: Housing & Development Board)

TEETHING ISSUES

When CNA visited Plantation Grange on Wednesday afternoon, many of the units were still empty or under renovation. Residents CNA spoke to were glad to have the interim amenities but said there were some teething issues.

Mr Teng Kang Teng, who is moving in on Thursday, has tried the vending machines and found that cashless payment did not work as the internet connectivity was poor in the new estate.

He told CNA he could buy groceries from Bukit Batok and bring them over to his new home, so he was not overly worried about the lack of shops.

"There are buses to Bukit Batok which I'm already familiar with," said the 29-year-old entrepreneur. "This is a new BTO, it's a new block and a new area. So it's all expected."

However, he said the vending machines were quite "disappointing".

There were five vending machines at the void deck when CNA visited, and one appeared to be malfunctioning.

HDB has clarified that the machine was not in operation yet. More machines are being tested and will be operational progressively, it added.

Two of the machines which previously took only cashless payments had been replaced last week with machines that also accept cash, due to feedback about the internet connectivity, CNA understands.

Plantation Grange residents using the vending machine at the new Tengah estate on Dec 13,2023. (Photo: CNA/Chew Hui Min)

Another resident, 83-year-old Mdm Song, also told CNA that she could take a bus to the nearest supermarket in Bukit Batok, which residents said was three bus stops away.

The elderly woman, who moved in last week, said that she has not tried the vending machines as she did not know how to use them.

At around 3pm, the grocery truck was set up and immediately some residents and construction workers came to pick up snacks and drinks.

Other residents said they hope the grocery truck can have longer operating hours and more variety.

Mr Muhammed Zulfadhli Rawi Putra Mohamed Jamil, who moved in two months ago, said that he and his wife, who was in a wheelchair, wanted to move in earlier as they were previously renting.

He is glad that there is now a grocery truck but said that they still do most of their grocery shopping at a bigger supermarket nearby.

"For the small things that we require last minute, we can still come (to the grocery truck) and buy," said Mr Zulfadhli, 28. 

"I think the truck can be here a bit longer, maybe a few more days ... (it's) still best if they have a permanent shop here."

Mr Muhammad Khairul Nahar, 27, who picked up bananas, snacks and drinks from the grocery truck, said he hopes for a greater variety of items at the truck.

"There's not so much choice but I think it's still helpful for residents around here," said the sales executive, who only plans to move in a few months later.

Apart from the grocery truck and vending machines, HDB noted in a media factsheet on Wednesday that it had also started a free interim bus shuttle service on Aug 29, before the first bus service began operating on Sep 24.

Two bus services – 992 and 870 – have been introduced in Tengah so far, to connect residents to transport hubs and key amenities in Bukit Batok and Jurong East.

As more residents move into their homes, the routes of the two bus services will be extended to more bus stops in Tengah.

Cleaning of roads to reduce dust at Tengah new town. 

(Photo: Housing & Development Board)

Tengah will also be served by the Jurong Region Line, which is expected to open in three stages from 2027 to 2029. The first two MRT stations in Tengah are targeted to open in 2027.

"We thank residents for their understanding and patience, as we continue rolling out amenities and infrastructure in and around Tengah to better serve their needs," HDB said.

The agency added that it is also taking measures to mitigate inconveniences from ongoing construction, such as ensuring the safe traffic flow of the vehicles and washing the roads more often to reduce dust.

"Since the first Tengah residents received their keys in end-August 2023, HDB has instructed all HDB construction work sites in Tengah to step up their housekeeping measures to ensure that debris and dust from their construction activities are kept within their work sites as far as possible, the Housing Board said. 

For precincts where keys have been handed over, like in Plantation Grange and Acres, HDB has also worked with LTA to maintain a convenient walking path for residents, while construction works and roadworks are being completed.

This article was originally published on ChannelNewsAsia. Its inclusion on this website is solely for education purposes.