VietNamNet Bridge – This lunar New Year, some parks and bus stations in HCM City will have 11 public toilets of 4-5 star standards and ATMs to serve visitors and passengers.

A public toilet - grocery in downtown HCM City.

The 11 public toilets and ATMs are built in the parks of 23/9, Tao Dan, Le Van Tam, Gia Dinh, Cho Lon and Dam Sen bus stations and they will be put into operation in January 2014, before the Lunar New Year.

Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Transportation, said that these works are funded by banks, at the cost of VND800 million ($40,000)/toilet, on an area of 60 m2 each. The toilets are up to 4-5 star standards and they will open for free.

Cuong said if this model is successful, the city would replicate it.

In HCM City, though the population is largest in the country and it welcomes more than 60 percent of the country's tourists every year, the number of public toilets is not enough to meet the needs of the people.

At present, the city has about 170 public toilets installed on many roads and parks, mainly in District 1 to serve tourists.

In Hanoi, the authorities have approved the construction of 14 steel public toilets worth VND15 billion ($750,000) and upgraded seven toilets at the cost of VND3.2 billion, from the state budget.

Currently, there are 310 public toilets in the four old urban districts of Hanoi. However, there are only 16 old public toilets in the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem district, the city’s tourist attraction.

Le Ha