SINGAPORE: Some residents at a block of flats in Jurong West have been left hanging ever since the only lift that serves their units broke down two months ago.

Lift D at Block 542, Jurong West Avenue 1 serves eight units in the four-storey block. It was closed for maintenance after an incident on Jul 1 left one woman injured. A passenger involved in the incident said the lift fell four storeys to the ground floor.



Mr Daeng Mohamad Norrasyidin Sonny, who lives on the fourth floor, said he feels “very frustrated” because he and his wife, who is pregnant, have to climb the stairs every day.

“Coming back from work, I feel so tired, yet I still need climb up the stairs,” the 35-year-old told Channel NewsAsia. “Furthermore, I have to do this with my wife, who is pregnant.”

The workplace safety and health coordinator said the Town Council told him that the lift will be back in service by the end of this month.

Another resident who lives on the fourth floor, Ms Eka Nurwati Ishak, said the extended downtime has been “very inconvenient” for the older folk in her household.



“There are elderly people in my house,” the 48-year-old said. “My mum, uncle and aunty are all very old.”

The customer service officer added that it is “very tiring” for her because she often goes to the market and returns with a trolley full of groceries.

“The repair men who came said it’s going to take quite some time because the damage is so bad,” she said.

According to her, the lift breaks down almost every year, but this is the longest time that it has been out of operation in her five years of living there. “The previous repair only took two weeks, but this time it’s taking very long,” she said.

A repair notice on the lift with no end date specified. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)

Jurong-Clementi Town Council public relations manager Amanda Lee said the town council hopes to get the lift up and running by the end of next month.

"We have been working closely with the lift technicians on the repairs. As we are in the midst of having the spare parts shipped over, we seek the residents' understanding on this matter," she said.

“Rest assured, we have the residents' safety in mind and hence, we are still running some tests to ensure that the lift is working properly before we open it to the residents."

Mr Ho Kah Him, a retiree who lives alone on the third floor, said he has accepted the situation because he is still able to climb the stairs.

“But there’s surely still some inconvenience; it’s been out of service for very long already,” the 69-year-old said. “Luckily I don’t live on the highest floor. If not, I will surely complain.”

Block 542 Jurong West Avenue 1. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)

Mr Ho said the lift has always been problematic, highlighting that he was trapped inside for about 15 minutes on one occasion.

“The most important thing is they must not do the repairs in a hurry, but make sure it is safe,” he added. “So, when we take the lift, we can feel safe.”