When migrant worker Syed Abu fell ill with the flu and had to see a doctor, the 31-year-old had to wait three hours for a shuttle bus to take him back to his dormitory in Tanah Merah. 

“I was so tired but I had no choice,” said Mr Abu, who stays in the Coastal Dormitory located at Tanah Merah Coast Road. 

The dormitory — run by Changi East Dorm Dwall, a subsidiary of engineering and logistics company Huationg Global — was the subject of a recent Facebook video by non-profit organisation Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2).

In the video uploaded on Friday (Sept 29), vice-president of TWC2 Alex Au said that the dormitory is located “in the middle of nowhere” and has no medical facilities.

He said it is located beyond Changi Airport's runways, in a security zone and is highly inaccessible...

In response to TODAY’s queries, Coastal Dormitory said that the long queues were due to workers returning to the dormitory at the same time on Sunday, leading to a greater demand for the bus service. 

“This is similar to Singaporeans going to work at peak time in the morning and evening after work,” the dormitory operator said...

It added that most of the residents have their company-arranged vehicles plying in and out of the dormitory. 

“The bus service is another additional service provided to those residents who would like to go out without their company transport,” it said. 

In the event that a worker falls ill or there is a medical emergency, Coastal Dormitory said that its staff would assist him. 

“This is already a standard operating procedure. When there is any emergency, an ambulance can come in smoothly,” it said...

Coastal Dormitory also said that it is currently engaging with its residents and receiving feedback on the number of workers taking the bus on weekends before adjusting its frequency...