The good, the bad and the ugliest loos

BROACH the subject of public toilets and everyone has an opinion. From Urban Council chairman Dr Ronald Leung Ding-bong to tai-tais to Filipino maids the verdict is all bad: Hong Kong's toilets are appalling.

Dr Leung, also known as 'Dr Toilet' for his crusading on the subject, sums up the problem. People misuse the toilets by standing on bowls and not keeping them clean. But equally, rich Hong Kong landlords do a poor job managing their toilet facilities, especially at shopping malls.

'Good toilets should be sustained with maintenance and good cleaning,' he said, admitting Urban Council toilets were not models of this, given limited public funds. 'Shopping malls should do better. They have no excuse, they are there to make money.' Toilets are often an afterthought and can be hard to find. The bins overflow with rubbish and the counters around sinks are sopping wet. For mothers with babies or the disabled, it is even worse. Often there are no provisions for them or the toilets are locked.

The spokeswoman of La Leche League, Sarah Hung, said hotels were usually the only decent bet for women with babies, while a Hong Kong Rehabilitation Alliance survey last year found only one of 161 disabled toilets - in Tsuen Wan Town Square - met the Government's guidelines.

'This is quite disappointing because it concerns the basic needs of human beings,' said Simon Wu Wing-kuen, the Alliance's general secretary. 'Disabled people have the right to use disabled toilets when shopping or going outside.' Yet there are comfortable and attractive toilets for public use in Hong Kong - mostly in hotels - where an investment is made to have staff keep the facilities clean and open. The Urban Council has also tried to upgrade its facilities with more attractive designs and unbreakable squats, and by educating people on improving their toilet habits.

Below is a rough guide to public toilets near busy areas in Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. They are nearly all in hotels or shopping malls. The Mass Transit Railway has backed down on plans to install toilets in stations for 'hygiene and security reasons', which a spokeswoman did not elaborate on.