The locations of Saigon's public restrooms will soon be at your fingertips, thanks to a recent effort by city officials to electronically map toilet services in the southern metropolis.
These easily locatable washrooms are one of a series of improvements local authorities are implementing in order to make it more convenient for tourists and pedestrians to answer nature’s call, reports VietnamNet.
The city is also involving local businesses such as hotels, restaurants and stores in tourist-packed districts, encouraging them to open their doors – and their bathrooms – to tourists in need, reports Thanh Nien. Coupled with Saigon’s “five-star” lavatories project, this new age of accessible toilets will make the search for a public lavatory in Saigon much less daunting.
According to a report carried out by the Department of Tourism earlier this year, the current condition of the city’s toilet facilities is less than desirable, with only 200 public toilets citywide, 150 of which are unsuitable for usage.
Some notable tourist attractions in Saigon, such as the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine or Soai Kinh Lam fabric market, don’t even have public toilets, according to Department of Tourism deputy director La Quoc Khanh.
The Department of Science and Technology has now been tasked with mapping the location of the city’s current facilities. Until the project is finished, Saigoneers will have to make do with this nifty app built by a local 17-year-old, which assists its user in finding the nearest toilet and is available in English and Vietnamese.
[Photo via Hogenood]
