Good initiative to turn scrap into public utilities

Bombay Gymkhana, located on a prime site near Azad Maidan. File pic/Gettyimages

This paper recently featured a piece of news about a scrapped bus that got a facelift and is now a public toilet for women.

Stationed in the Fort area, at Fashion Street opposite the Bombay Gymkhana club, this bus has a number of Indian toilets, a Western toilet and a changing room for women. These buses are got from scrap heaps by an organisation working in the hygiene and public infra space, and they are mobile. They do not have an engine but they have wheels and can be towed to different locations. Currently, it is free of charge at the spot, but months later they are plans to charge a very small fee to use the toilet.

We salute these initiatives aimed to make life less stressful and more convenient for the public. It is more challenging for women to find public toilet facilities. We have highlighted stations where women's toilets seem to be locked, Sometimes, these toilets seem to have missing attendants and may be unsafe for women late evenings or at night.

Many toilets, both men and women, are locked up waiting for some important person to inaugurate the entire block. There are some toilets across the city that are simply unusable. It is extremely tough for women who are out on the roads on work, or commuting, to find toilets. It is dangerous for health and induces major stress.

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That is why this is an important and needed measure and we hope this will spawn similar facilities in other high footfall areas.

This infra must be maintained. This means firstly, it should be well lit. There must be attendants, and it should be clean with running water. If there are timings, they should be clearly mentioned outside at all times. Users too, must respect the facility and vandalism is inexcusable and in fact, invite crimes
and punishment.