Orchard Road: Where Gucci Bags and Clean Toilets Meet!
In many countries public toilets are avoided like the plague. In Singapore, they are often clean enough to eat in.
Other than Singapore’s strict laws on chewing gum the city is also known for its clean environment. Public toilets get special attention, as they rightly should.
Tourists wandering around Orchard Road are as spoilt for choice with toilets as they are with branded goods.
It’s probably not too difficult to determine the root cause of dirty toilets but let’s not take anything away from the valuable public service RAS performs.
The cleanliness of public restrooms is serious business. It is a simple way of measuring a society’s progress and provides clues about an individual’s respect for communal spaces. A public toilet is the most basic type of common space.
Getting certified and reading the correct literature will help any individual aspiring to win the annual Loo Award. The Loo Award, which was launched in 2009, is designed to “recognise any organisations or individuals who have contributed to help Singapore achieve a world recognised standard of restroom cleanliness.”
I have no idea what the Loo Award trophy looks like.
Happy toilets are what the RAS is all about. The RAS publishes a Singapore map based on the Happy Toilet Programme. The Happy Toilet programme uses a 3, 4 and 5 stars grading system to rank public toilets.
Toilets don’t just become happy. They are made happy by the people maintaining them. Next time you walk into a clean toilet please spare a thought for those who help keep them happy.
The RAS 2010 goal of achieving 70% clean toilets may not be as lofty as Malaysia’s Vision 2020 but it is surely attainable.
And for Singaporeans just as important.