{
  "id": 1910996,
  "title": "No more 10¢ charge: Diners can now use the toilets at Whampoa and Bendemeer Hawker Centres for free",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/no-more-10-charge-diners-can-now-use-the-toilets-at-whampoa-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T03:00:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Independent Singapore",
    "slug": "the-independent-singapore",
    "url": "https://theindependent.sg/no-more-10-charge-diners-can-now-use-the-toilets-at-whampoa-and-bendemeer-hawker-centres-for-free/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore's Member of Parliament Shawn Loh announced on August 17 that toilets at Whampoa and Bendemeer Hawker Centres will now be free to use, following a two-month trial period. The 10-cent charge has been permanently removed. MP Loh, who serves Whampoa ward, praised the change, stating it makes hawker centres more convenient and welcoming, particularly for seniors. He urged the public to maintain cleanliness in the bathrooms, emphasizing that this responsibility is shared. The Town Council will increase cleaning efforts to support this. While most public restrooms in Singapore are free, some hawker centres still charge a small fee to support caretakers, many of whom are older Singaporeans. Despite the insignificant amount, some residents acknowledged the removal of the fee as a positive change, while others expressed no qualms about paying if toilets remained clean and well-maintained.",
  "summary": "Jalan Besar MP Shawn Loh announced in an FB video: \"Good news for our Whampoa and Bendemeer community! 🎉 After a two-month trial, I’m pleased to share that the toilets at both Whampoa and Bendemee... This article ( No more 10¢ charge: Diners can now use the toilets at Whampoa and Bendemeer Hawker Centres for free ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}