Toilet app made by Beijing government is bogged down by errors
Smartphone users are shown nonexistent restrooms and others are led far off the mark, when there are loos close by
A Beijing government app that helps smartphone users find the nearest public toilet was found to be flush with errors, according to tests conducted by the media.
The app, launched in April and developed by the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment, uses GPS (the satellite-enabled Global Positioning System) to display a map with the locations of at least 20 public restrooms closest to the user.
The person must select one location, then shake the phone to make the app show the best route. Like many map applications, it shows the distance and estimated time it will take to get to the destination.
The whole process of finding a loo takes about 10 seconds, The Beijing Daily reported. It is available on both Apple and Android platforms, but the commission had yet to say how many people downloaded the app.
The app’s reach is specific as well – it covers about 8,300 public toilets within the capital’s 5th Ring Road. But the commission said not all the toilets nearby were included in the map.
However, users have complained that there are some toilets showing up on the app but cannot be found in the city.