“Automated” Tray Return in Hawker Centres More Low-Tech Than Army Cookhouse

Have you seen how the back of an “automated” tray return at the hawker centre looks like?

Someone took a photo of what’s behind it and here’s how it looks. This is the front view:

This is the back view:

This definitely doesn’t look like what we expect of an “automated” tray return system. It just looks like a disgusting mess.

Nothing high-tech about “automated” tray return

Yee Chin Teo, a managing partner at Red Bean Architects in Singapore, posted the images on Linkedin and said the setup is even more low-tech than an army cookhouse.

“There’s nothing high-tech about this set up. All the crockeries crash into a big tub on the floor and a worker has to bend down, pick them up and sort them out again for washing. Rather undignifyjng, and certainly more Low-tech than the army cookhouse. What was wrong with the open-sided stainless steel shelves used previously?”

Yee Chin Teo, Managing Partner at Red Bean Architects, Singapore

This setup looks worse for the cleaners as they have to bend down and pick up the crockery. Other than a conveyor belt, nothing really seems automated. Is this setup really better than the simple tray return shelves?

People who commented on Yee Chin’s post said could not believe their eyes. They called it a joke.

One of the comments also said this was done to fulfill someone’s KPI.

Amy Khor, is this what you call an “automated” tray return system?

How much of our taxes went into this lousy invention?

Are the costs of these machines passed on to hawkers who then pass them on to the public?

NEA has already rolled out this system in a number of existing hawker centres. Not only is the 50 cents deposit a hassle for hawkers and diners, the machine also does not seem to serve much purpose.

This is going to be a white elephant in future and a waste of taxpayer’s money. Is this what the government calls a “smart nation” initiative?