Online Map Tracks 200+ Digitally Disadvantaged Hawkers So You Can Support Them Amid Covid-19
With dining-in at F&B outlets suspended during Phase 2 Heightened Alert, many hawkers have seen a dip in customers.
While some have managed to list their offerings online, elderly and illiterate hawkers have a harder time doing so.
On Thursday (3 Jun), a Redditor who goes by the handle u/waffleboy92 shared an interactive map of about 200 “digitally disadvantaged” hawkers across Singapore.
Singaporeans can also contribute by adding to the existing list of hawkers.
Each marker has backstories and locations of hawkers
Though the initial map started with just 10 stalls, kind Redditors have since manually added other stalls based on information from social media posts.
Essentially a Google Map, users will find red markers representing the location of digitally disadvantaged hawkers
User can find the address, opening hours, and bestsellers offered by each stall by clicking on each marker. Some listings even include backstories and background information on the current plight of the hawker.
One such hawker is Hock Seng Choon Fishball Kway Teow Mee in Bedok South.
Despite persuasion from his son, the elderly stall owner – in his 80s – refuses to partner up with food delivery apps as they apparently “take a big cut”.
When his grandson suggested increasing the price of his noodles on the app, the hawker allegedly refused out of concern for his customers.
Users can contribute by adding to existing list
You can find a link to the interactive map here.
Smartphone users can also download the map and connect it to their Google Maps app for additional navigation features.
Those who wish to contribute to the list can submit new stalls through the Google Form here.
Alternatively, PM the Redditor if you’d love to share ideas or devote more time to the initiative.
Redditor seeks to help digitally disadvantaged hawkers
With dining-in prohibited and fewer people travelling about, many hawkers are struggling during this period of tightened restrictions.
As a result, the Redditor was concerned about the impact it’d have on our hawker heritage if digitally disadvantaged hawkers wouldn’t survive.
Of course, the best way to support them is to continue patronising their business. However, the user realised that people may not know who these elderly hawkers are and where they are located.
Kudos to kind Redditors for helping hawkers in need of help
Kudos to the Redditor and other contributors for helping with the interactive map.
It’s nice knowing that the kampung spirit is still alive even today with digital-savvy Singaporeans helping those who are disadvantaged.
We sincerely hope that every hawker in dire need of help will be included in this map. If you have the time and resources, do take the time to support the stalls in your neighbourhood.
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Featured image adapted from Reddit and Flickr.Â
