HK$500 million expected in budget to upgrade Hong Kong’s toilets, but what can city learn from Singapore’s clean experience?
- Advocates say amount to revamp 200 facilities not enough without maintenance and public education
- Authorities urged to look into regular checks, tender system for contractors and better wages for cleaners
An injection of about HK$500 million (US$64 million) to upgrade Hong Kong’s public toilets will not be enough to flush away their foul reputation if authorities do not also step up maintenance and public education, campaigners have said.
On Monday, advocates said Hong Kong should learn from Singapore, where public toilets are squeaky clean, “reminding people of a garden, with plants and sounds of birds chirping”.
The funding for 200 public toilets in the city is expected to be announced in Wednesday’s budget address. Hong Kong’s lavatories have been criticised for being smelly, dirty and clogged.
The 200 washrooms slated for upgrades form a quarter of such facilities under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), while agencies such as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department also manage other toilets.
Speaking on a radio programme, lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said if money was only spent on hardware and not maintenance, the facilities would probably fall back into their sorry state in a year.