The new and old faces of the Singapore river

The boats may be electric powered, but the same boatmen still ply the waters
Tan Hui Leng, Today Online 16 Jun 08;

A BOATMAN for almost half a century, Mr Png Chin Lai has seen his fair share of the changes along the Singapore River. However, he does not lament the passing of what has been, nor is he nostalgic for any of it. Instead Mr Png, 57, enthusiastically embraces the new.

“Life was really tough decades ago. Income was unstable. Sometimes, there was just fewer people and goods to ferry, so you had to wait until something came along,” he said in Mandarin.

“It was also territorial. Where the boats operated depended on where the clans had staked their claims on the river and its banks.”

Those days when he had to scratch out an erratic living are however long gone. The grandfather of four is now a supervisor at Singapore River Cruises and Leisure, with 20 men under his charge. The company offers scenic bumboat rides along the Singapore River.

“Now, life as a boatman is much more leisurely and relaxed,” he told Today. “We just ferry tourists up and down the river and we can even see the sights and listen to the commentary.”

Even the diesel-powered tourist bumboats that he has been steering for almost two decades have now been replaced with new ones powered by electricity. The first ones came into use on Jan 1 and the rest of the fleet was replaced yesterday.

“Electric boats are good, they are quiet and there’s no smoke,” he said. “They are slower and take a bit of getting used to when steering, but tourists can now take their time to enjoy the sights.”

The fleet of 16 new electric boats as well as two luxury electric yachts that will be available for private hire in two months cost $3.32 million in total.

Mr Png’s life, like that of his father’s and elder brother’s, has been entwined with the stretch of water that used to play a large part in Singapore’s mercantile history.

Born in Singapore, Mr Png grew up in the enclaves of Telok Ayer. His late father — who was also a boatman — ferried goods and people along the river.

“As children, we learnt how to swim in the Singapore River, holding onto ropes and buckets for floats,” he recalled fondly.

When he turned 15, Mr Png took up the trade alongsidehis brother even though he did not have a licence until seven years later.

“I was caught many times but I had to make a living — no choice,” he said.

From gasoline to kerosene to diesel-operated boats carrying goods, people and whatever else needed to be ferried,Mr Png did it all, to raise his family of five.

As skyscrapers started changing the skyline — and the way of life — along the riverside, Mr Png and his family sold off or scrapped their boats. But he never left his profession. In 1989, Mr Png became a boatsman for Singapore River Cruises and Leisure. His brother, now70 years old, is also a boatman still, operating at Marina South.

But their breed is a dying one — electric bumboats or not, and even with good passenger loads of about 1,000 a day taking river cruises. These last either 30 or 45 minutes, with each passenger paying $13 to take in highlights such as Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Marina Bay.

:Mr Ryden Fang, a director at Singapore River Cruises and Leisure, acknowledged that it is increasingly difficult to find qualified boatsmen. “The younger generation is not into this kind of trade any more,” he said.