PUBLIC TOILETS (State of cleanliness)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for the Environment what is the present state of cleanliness in public toilets and whether there are complaints about dirty toilets being received by his Ministry.

The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad to report that the cleanliness of public toilets in Singapore has improved significantly over the past two years. The number found to be dirty or with defective sanitary fittings has decreased from 911 in 1991 to 489 in 1992. Generally, the operators of public toilets have become more aware of their responsibility and many of them have responded positively to my Ministry's call to upgrade the standard of our public toilets.

So far, a total of 910 private, Government and statutory board premises have upgraded their toilets and fitted them with sensor-operated flush valves. About 80% of these upgraded toilets are located in eating establishments.

Last December, Sir, my Ministry introduced a regulation requiring operators of public toilets to provide adequate toilet paper, soap or liquid detergent, clean towels or hand dryers and litter bins. It is hoped that members of the public will not abuse the basic toiletries provided but learn to use them in a responsible manner.

Sir, even with the improvement to our public toilets, my Ministry still receives an average of 10 complaints a month on dirty public toilets. We will continue to impress upon operators of public toilets to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. I would like to call upon users of these toilets to cooperate by treating public toilets as if they were their own. Members of the public can help the operators maintain the toilets in a clean, dry and tidy condition.