'Like a ghost town on some days': Some JB shops hit by drop in Singaporean visitors after VEP enforcement
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Ever since the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) for Singapore-registered vehicles entering Malaysia came into effect from July 1, some business owners are feeling the pinch — fewer Singaporean customers are walking in through their doors.Speaking to AsiaOne, Haze'Like a ghost town on some days': Some JB shops hit by drop in Singaporean visitors after VEP enforcement
Ever since the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) for Singapore-registered vehicles entering Malaysia came into effect from July 1, some business owners are feeling the pinch — fewer Singaporean customers are walking in through their doors.Speaking to AsiaOne, Hazel Eng, who works at Kacha Kacha, a self-photo studio located in Eco Palladium in Mount Austin, said that some Singaporean clients have cancelled their appointments after July 1.Eng is among 20 workers/business owners AsiaOne spoke to gauge the effect of the new rule on businesses.«Some customers reached out to say they couldn't secure their VEP in time and didn't want to risk any issues at the checkpoint, so they cancelled their appointments with us,» said the 25-year-old.«Others are unsure about the process or prefer to wait until things settle down before making the trip,» she added.Eng, who has been working at the studio for over four years, said she did not expect such a sudden and significant impact on customer traffic, especially since most of the studio's clientele comes from Singapore.