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General Overview

Type of stakeholder

EICS Framework

Region of Reference

Africa
Asia
Australia
Europe
North-America
South-America
World

Description

This intervention refers to the implication and management of free-to-use public restrooms, which are clean, well-maintained, well-lit, and have an attendant able to assist. Access to public restrooms may be considered a requirement of human rights to sanitation, however, the experiences of the majority of their users evoke negative associations with the services.

For public restrooms that are holistically incorporated in the structure of the environment, properly located, sufficiently marked, well-organised, and designed its benefits may allow for greater use of public spaces.

Facts/Illustrations/Case studies

Figure: Iminathi Mafevuka walks towards the communal toilets in Blowey, SST, where Sinoxolo Mafevuka, her sister-in-law, was found raped and murdered. [8] Spurce: Zingce Gamiso. In South Africa, the nature of public toilets, the distances people travel to communal toilets, and the use of alternatives to toilets, including the bush, put women, and children, particularly at risk of sexual assault. A Johannesburg-based rape surveillance project at the University of SA identified public toilets as a possible site for the attack [8]
Those who limited public restroom use most or all of the time consistently rated satisfaction with accessibility, cleanliness, availability of toiletries, safety, and privacy lower [1]. Figure: Navigating restrooms
Women typically face more barriers to restroom use, such as fewer facilities, longer lines, caregiver duties, and additional biological needs (e.g. menstruation). Lack of cleanliness is a common perception and women often adopt many toileting behaviours to cope, including self-restricting toilet use in public and hovering or crouching over the seat. [1] Among the 79% of women who reported as least occasionally limiting public restroom use, poor restroom quality was the most common reason (84%), followed by long lines (42%), accessibility (19%), and other reasons (14%). [1] Figure: Proportion of women who avoid public restrooms and why

Types of Impact

To/from the stop/station/rank✕
Waiting for train/bus/paratransit✓
In the vehicle✕
At interchanges✓

Access to public restrooms will be beneficial in public spaces, namely at fixed infrastructures such as Public transport hubs/stations as well as at busy nodes/interchanges.

Day-time travel✓
Night-time travel✓
Peak-time travel✓
Off peak-time travel✓

All travel time categories could be positively impacted by this intervention

Bus✓
Train✓
Rideshare✓
4 wheelers informal✓
3 wheelers informal✓
2 wheelers informal✓
Cycling✕
Walking✕

All motorised modes could potentially be impacted by this intervention.

Girls✓
Boys✓
Adult Women✓
Men✓
Elderly Women✓
LGBTQI+✓

All public transport users will be positively impacted by this intervention.

Resources

Monetary Resource Requirements
Capital costs consist of the construction of the restrooms, as well as the supporting infrastructures, whereas the operational costs consist of service, maintenance, sanitary supplies/equipment, and humanitarian costs. Cost is dependent on the scale of implementation: the greater the scale of implementation, the higher the costs. Installing and upgrading facilities can be quite costly, whilst the upkeep once installed should be fairly low cost.
Capital Cost Requirements Operational Cost Requirements
Non-Monetary Resource Requirements
Full implementation of the intervention requires moderate skills, as it requires construction and installation (where no prior services are available), maintenance, and operation. Its designs and construction processes are based on existing templates, although it needs to be signed off by trained and qualified individuals. In addition, it requires minimal time or political will to implement.
Skills Time Political Will

SWOT Analysis

Once installed, the benefits are long-lasting if maintenance is done properly
Improves customer satisfaction

Not effective in parts of the transport system where the intervention is not physically present
Overcome negative public image

Crime reduction
Improve safety at the public transport station
Improved access to personal hygiene/sanitary measures

Poor management of the resource will render the benefits void

Effectiveness

The intervention is considered a positive and necessary service as it forms part of a cohesive public transport system. Literature sources confidently indicate this to be an effective measure in improving public safety, with numerous studies reaching the same conclusion with regards to effectiveness. As a result, the level of confidence is high.1-6 Irrespective of intervention implementation, a percentage of female passengers will forgo its benefits, as they will avoid the use of public restrooms completely. [4]

Perception by (female) passengers
Perception by governing bodies
Level of confidence in these ratings

Implementation

Implementation of this intervention can happen quickly and be ramped up over time, depending on the available funds or demand. The benefits ensue immediately upon implementation, once maintenance and associated services cease, the corresponding benefits are foregone.

Implementation timeframe

0-1 year✓
1-3 years✓
>3 years✕

Timeframe to realise benefits

0-1 year✓
1-3 years✓
>3 years✕

Scale of Implementation

This intervention can be implemented at a local or city level.

National

Regional

City

Station or
Suburb

Ease of Implementation

This intervention is moderately easy to implement, it requires skills and capital to provide additional infrastructure. Once the infrastructure is in place, minimal training or skills are required in training sanitary staff and restroom attendees.

List of References

Africa

1. Gonsalves, G. S., Kaplan, E. H., & Paltiel, A. D. (2015). Reducing sexual violence by increasing the supply of toilets in Khayelitsha, South Africa: a mathematical model. PloS one, 10(4), e0122244.

2. Pretorius, L, 2016. Risk of sexual assault around public toilets, City Press, South Africa.

Asia

3. Tinggi, F., Rahim, R., Priyanto, S., & Friman Professor of Karlstad, M. (2016). Topic 03 Social and environmental aspects of transportation FSTPT ANALYSIS EASE-OF-USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES BASED ON CUSTOMER PERCEPTION BEFORE, ONBOARD, AND AFTER THE JOURNEY (Case Study: Commuter Line Jabodetabek Area/ KRL) (Issue 2).

4. Reynolds, W. S., Kowalik, C., Kaufman, M. R., Dmochowski, R. R., & Fowke, J. H. (2020). Women’s perceptions of public restrooms and the relationships with toileting behaviors and bladder symptoms: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Urology, 204(2), 310–315.

Europe

5. Gekoski A., Gray J., Horvath M., Edwards M. A.H., Emirali S., Adler, J. R. (2015) What Works’ in Reducing Sexual Harassment and Sexual Offences on Public Transport Nationally and Internationally: A Rapid Evidence Assessment, London: British Transport Police and Department for Transport. 2015.

6. Ramos, S., Vicente, P., Passos, A. M., Costa, P., & Reis, E. (2019). Perceptions of the public transport service as a barrier to the adoption of public transport: A qualitative study. Social Sciences, 8(5).

North America

7. Qiu, K. (2018)“Hoilet System”-A Way to Improve Experience in High Traffic Female Public Restrooms in the U.S

World

8. Hartigan, S. M., Bonnet, K., Chisholm, L., Kowalik, C., Dmochowski, R. R., Schlundt, D., & Reynolds, W. S. (2020). Why do women not use the bathroom? Women’s attitudes and beliefs on using public restrooms. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6).

SHE CAN Tool