Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ9: Public toilets at tourists spots
Following is a question by the Hon Yiu Si-wing and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today
(March 22):
Question:
I have recently received complaints from members of the public that the
facilities of the public toilets at some tourist hotspots are dilapidated and
the toilets are in poor hygiene conditions. They consider that such situation
will not only cause inconvenience to users but also give tourists a bad
impression of Hong Kong, thereby tarnishing Hong Kong's image as an
international tourist destination. Regarding the public toilets at tourist
hotspots with high usage, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the criteria adopted by the authorities for determining whether a public
toilet is located at a tourist hotspot with high usage, together with the
location and number of such toilets; if the information is not available, of the
reasons for that;
(2) whether the authorities have set higher standards for the hygiene conditions
and level of services of such public toilets, including increasing the frequency
of cleansing work, stepping up inspections, expeditiously repairing damaged
facilities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether the authorities have reviewed and improved the aesthetic appeal and
facilities of such public toilets in the past three years; if so, of the
details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) manages 789 public toilets.
There are also other public toilets in public venues (e.g. parks, country parks,
etc.) within the respective purview of the Leisure and Cultural Services
Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
My reply in respect of FEHD's purview to the question raised by the Hon Yiu Si‑wing
is as follows:
(1) FEHD has not laid down criteria for defining whether certain public toilets
are located within the areas of tourist hotspots. Nevertheless, a list of public
toilets under the purview of FEHD with high utilisation rate near widely
recognised tourist spots is attached at Annex for information.
(2) The cleansing frequency of public toilets within the purview of FEHD depends
on the public demand and usage of the toilets. Public toilets are thoroughly
cleansed two to three times a day in general. Toilet attendants are deployed in
frequently used public toilets (irrespective of whether they are located near
tourist spots) to ensure that the toilets are clean and hygienic with toilet
paper and liquid soap replenished as well as damages of facilities reported for
speedy repairs. In parallel, FEHD staff are deployed for daily inspection of the
conditions of hygiene, cleanliness and facilities of public toilets. Upon
noticing minor damages or consumable items such as light bulbs or florescent
tubes in need of replacement, the cleansing contractor will carry out minor
repairs or replacement within 24 hours. As for relatively more serious damages,
FEHD staff will inform the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) for
follow-up actions as appropriate.
(3) FEHD and ArchSD have set up a working group (WG) which holds frequent
discussions on how to optimise FEHD's public toilets to ensure that the design
of public toilet facilities could blend well with the surrounding environment
and keep up with the times, with a view to making the public toilet facilities
hygienic, clean, safe and decent. In planning new toilets and reprovisioning or
refurbishing existing ones, FEHD will follow its established standards of
provision. The WG will decide on the exterior design, installations and
equipment, as well as materials having regard to the actual circumstances of
individual toilets. For public toilets at tourist spots, FEHD will consider
adopting thematic layouts, featured facades, multi-colour artistic designs and
decorative lighting to make the toilets aesthetical and distinctive, providing
good ventilation, making the best use of natural light in addition to artificial
lighting, as well as utilising advanced facilities such as infra-red
sensor-activated taps and flushing equipment. Subject to site conditions and
other circumstantial factors, FEHD will consider providing more pedestal type
water closets to meet the needs of tourists.
Ends/Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Issued at HKT 12:15
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LCQ9 Annex