In recent days, a green logo featuring a smiley face with the text “Free Restroom – Make Yourself at Home” has been displayed at the Lotteria fast-food restaurant on Hang Than Street.
“This sign is placed at the main entrance so that both local and foreign visitors can easily recognise it. Anyone who needs to may use the facilities without purchasing food or drinks or paying any fee,” shared Phuong Anh, a staff member.
According to Le Tat Thanh, Chairman of Truc Bach Ward, not only this ward but many other areas in the city are facing significant challenges in upgrading and improving public toilet facilities, as they currently only meet a tiny fraction of residents’ and tourists’ needs.
Therefore, the “Free Restroom” model is a socialisation of public toilets, based on the voluntary spirit of food service businesses and accommodation providers. It creates an opportunity for pedestrians and tourists to conveniently use free toilets on the ward’s streets when needed.
Before piloting the scheme, the ward invited local businesses to a meeting and gathered input, with most businesses agreeing to the initiative. Participating businesses have the logo on display at the front of their premises for residents and tourists to see.
The model is currently being trialled on streets frequently visited by tourists, including Truc Bach, Hang Than, and Ngu Xa. By April 30, around 80% of other streets are expected to implement the model.
The Truc Bach Ward official stated that although the model is new, it is seen as contributing to a cleaner, more civilised local appearance that will satisfy tourists during their visits.
From the ward’s approach, there is hope that this model will be expanded to many other streets, making Hanoi more tourist friendly.
In addition to directly placing logos on shops, the ward has also adopted digital transformation, updating “Free Restroom” data on the ward’s information portal and Facebook page, enabling tourists to find free toilet locations on various platforms when needed.
Hanoi is currently encouraging restaurant owners, hotels and shopping centres to voluntarily cooperate and commit to providing free access to meet tourists’ and residents’ personal sanitation needs.
According to the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, the capital city currently has 351 public toilets, including 176 brick-built facilities, 91 stainless steel structure toilets, and 84 toilets installed by Vinasing Trade and Communication Joint Stock Company.
Public toilets in Hanoi only partially meet the needs and do not yet meet hygiene standards, with some facilities showing peeling and rust that negatively impact the urban landscape.
