Photography by the author.

It’s 2 AM. Along Pioneer Road, deep in the industrial district of Boon Lay, an Esso petrol station with its bright white lights is the only sign of human life.

The Esso sign board gleams like a lighthouse in a sea of quiet, guiding the rare wayfarers in this part of western Singapore to a place where they can fill up their petrol tanks or stomachs, or empty their bladders, before they continue their journey.

While this place is bustling with heavy vehicles and commercial activity in the day, at night it’s as peaceful as a reservoir park. A lorry or taxi breaks the peace about once every 10 minutes, and even fewer vehicles actually turn in to the petrol station.

For Mr Anwar, this petrol station – a 10-minute drive from Tuas Second Link – is a regular pit-stop during his daily commute from Johor Bahru to Bukit Merah, where he works as a security guard.

“I don’t carry much cash with me whenever I ride my motorcycle from JB because it’s not safe,” the young Malaysian tells me. “So I come here to withdraw money from the ATM before I go to work, it’s very convenient.”

The loud revving of his engine pierces the still air as he exits the station. Seconds later, it’s silent once again.

With so little traffic passing through the station, I wonder how the employees on the night shift – just the two of them – deal with the long hours of little to no human interaction at all.