10
The Provision of Public Toilets
Signage 19. Even where public toilets do exist, they are often poorly signed which means that the public, especially visitors, cannot find them. Peter Hampson told us that staff at the Tourist Information Centre in Southport were continually asked where the public toilets were, despite the fact that new public toilets were “literally 10 yards across the street”.23 As Clara Greed points out, lack of clear signage in British cities “has often resulted in people walking around desperately trying to find toilets” and, in contrast, she cites the example of Shanghai, where maps on rubbish bins at street corners show the location of the nearest public toilet.24 20. In 2001, the Australian Government launched its National Toilet Map, which identifies more than 13,000 public toilets across Australia. The map was created to help people with incontinence regain their independence, but it also benefits other groups such as tourists. The map includes information on disability access and opening hours for most of the toilets.25 Nearer to home, the Government’s supplementary memorandum describes the disabled drivers mapping portal, which “lists amongst other things accessible public toilets in 115 towns and cities across the UK including the location of Changing Places facilities.”26 21. A technological approach to signage is the Westminster City Council’s SATLAV initiative. For 25p, visitors can text “toilet” from their mobile phone to 80097 and will receive information about their nearest public toilet and opening hours. The service covers council-run and leased toilets, toilets run by the Greater London Authority and London Underground and toilets located in private retail stores.27 However, the available information is necessarily brief. When this facility was used in Parliament Square, the text received was as follows: “Yr nearest toilets: Parliament St 0800-2000, Broad Sanctuary 0900-1800, Leicester Sq & Covent Gdn toilets open 24 hrs”.28 The mobile phone text option is an interesting development and is likely to be refined and developed as technology improves and practical lessons are learnt, but clear, visible signs are a simpler and more effective way of informing the public about the location of public toilets. This example also highlights the problem of each local authority having its own ways of dealing with public toilets: the SATLAV in Westminster will not highlight available public toilets in Lambeth, for example, which may be closer than those elsewhere in Westminster. It also exposes gaps in provision within and between local authorities. The Strategic Guide contains photographs of signs used in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, which include information about the location and opening time of toilets, and sometimes the nearest alternative. We recommend that local authorities provide visible, clear signs for their existing public toilets, detailing such information as opening hours and location. Information about public toilet facilities and locations should also be provided in promotional leaflets for both locals and visitors and on local authorities’
23
Q 42
24
Clara Greed, “Taking Stock: an Overview of Toilet Provision and Standards”, p 14.
25
www.health.gov.au
26
Ev 48
27
CLG, Strategic Guide, p 39.
28
Text message (personal research) 02/07/2008.