CHENNAI: Five prime areas in the city are to get new ‘Loocafés’- air-conditioned, ‘luxury’ toilets that can be used free of charge, in an attempt to change the poor public toilet experience of an average city resident. Adjoining these toilets will be cafes from where residents may purchase tea, coffee, curry puffs or ‘samosas’.
The project, for which work orders were issued by city corporation on Wednesday, will have a private Hyderabad-based firm taking up the entire cost of installation and maintenance of these toilets in exchange for which they will be given vending permits for cafes. The first ‘Loocafé’ is likely to be opened by the first week of April.
The remaining may be opened by April 30. As a pilot projects, the toilets will come up in the area between Ripon Buildings and Central railway station, the pedestrian plaza, Elliot’s beach, Velachery and on Old Mahabalipuram Road, said corporation officials. “The corporation will not have to bear the cost of installation and maintenance. The firm will do it on their own. But, we will routinely inspect the services offered by them to ensure that they maintain the promised standards,” said Corporation Commissioner G Prakash.
The container toilets with a 160-square-feet area will have ‘stink sensors’ that detect high levels of ammonia which is associated with the pungent odour of urine and alert the staff. Its live ‘toilet management system’ will also have feedback buttons for the cleanliness of toilet, footfall sensors and monitor cleaning schedules. Made from recycled shipping containers, the well-lit toilets will have vertical gardens and CCTV cameras to encourage more women to use them, said Abhishek Nath, MD CEO of Ixora Corporate service, the firm that has taken up this project here.
“We find that entering a public toilet can be intimidating to women. So, we will ensure that the environment is welcoming and they are assured of their safety,” he said. Using the toilets does not mandate anyone to buy things at the cafe. However, those looking for a quick bite may purchase their snacks, beverages and water bottles that will be sold at the maximum retail price. For instance, ‘samosas’ will be priced usually between `15 and 20, he said.
The firm has completed installation of 30 such ‘Loocafés’ in Hyderabad. “Initially, there were apprehensions among people to eat near what is primarily a toilet, but we see that in Telangana, where we have constructed such toilets, people have no qualms now after seeing how clean the toilets are,” Abhishek said. As a business model, the firm’s return on investment relies on the sales at the cafes.
RFID Janitor Attendance
The clearing schedule of the toilets can be monitored live with RFID Readers integrated and RFID cards provided to the cleaners
Stink sensor
Alerts sent to respective teams if the washroom is stinking. Live monitoring of cleanliness
who’s in there
People using the washrooms at any given particular day or time can be tracked using sensors
Water level Sensor
Stink Sensor
Footfall Sensor
Feedback buttons
RFID Janitor Attendance