No liquor sale after 3am on Sundays, weekdays from Oct 1,
following complaints of drunken behaviour.
Singapore, July 20, 2013
Partying till the sun comes up in Clarke Quay may soon be a thing
of the past.
This is because the police have shortened the liquor licensing
hours for tenants there, following reports of drunken behaviour in
the area.
Under the new limitations which kick in on Oct 1, bars and
nightclubs stretching from River Valley Road to the Clarke Quay
Read Bridge will not be able to sell liquor after 3am on Sundays
and weekdays, and after 4am on Saturdays and the eve of public
holidays.
This will affect about 20 of the more than 60 outlets in Clarke
Quay, a nightlife destination popular with locals and tourists.
Although they do not impact the operating hours or entertainment
offerings of the affected outlets, patrons who wish to continue
drinking past the new time limits will have to purchase their
alcohol before then.
Some clubs may still get to sell alcohol past 3am after Oct 1,
but will have to comply with the new rules once their current
liquor extension licence expires.
A police spokesman said the change "was introduced following
complaints of drunken behaviour in the area, which could affect the
public's sense of safety and security in Clarke Quay which is a
popular entertainment area in Singapore".
There has also been an increase in thefts there in recent years,
from an average of three cases a month in 2011, to five cases a
month now.
In the past year, there were two separate cases of intoxicated
patrons drowning after falling into the Singapore River.
The new rules were set by the police in consultation with the
Liquor Licensing Board. Nightlife operators in the area told The
Straits Times they were informed of the changes about two weeks
ago.
Some added that the tighter liquor licensing rules, coupled with
new guidelines issued by the Urban Redevelopment Authority to
restrict outdoor riverside dining in some parts of Clarke Quay and
Robertson Quay, will deal a double whammy to the area's appeal.
Mr Bernard Lim, 44, chief executive of public-listed nightlife
group LifeBrandz, an anchor tenant operating several bars and clubs
in Clarke Quay, said the authorities did not engage operators about
the new policy.
He added: "There are more than 60 outlets here and there are
bound to be drunk people behaving stupidly. The problem should be
handled in other ways."
Mr Lim suggested beefing up security in nightclubs and bars;
that the landlord have more security personnel monitoring common
areas; and that the police patrol the area more often.
Some nightclub operators also pointed out that the problem of
drunken behaviour in the area is not necessarily caused by
customers from their outlets.
Teenagers have been seen buying cheap alcohol from nearby
convenience stores and drinking along the Singapore River and the
Read Bridge, they said.
Clarke Quay, owned by CapitaMall Trust and managed by
CapitaMalls Asia, sees more than a million visitors to the area
each month. A spokesman for Clarke Quay said the area will remain
"a 24-hour entertainment zone".
LifeBrandz's Mr Lim added that Clarke Quay tenants will be
meeting their landlord in the next few days to decide if they wish
to appeal against the new rules.
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