Forum: Give details of what is being done to improve cleanliness of coffee shop toilets

The Singapore Management University's Toilet Cleanliness Index survey revealed the failure of efforts to maintain a culture of clean toilets in Singapore, and showed that toilets in coffee shops and hawker centres have been getting dirtier over the years instead of getting better (Singapore's public toilets dirtier since 2016: Study, May 27, 2020).

We disagree with Public Hygiene Council (PHC) chairman Edward D'Silva saying that responsible users are also part of the solution, since cleanliness has not improved over the years (Coffee shop operators and users play a part to keep toilets clean, Jan 18).

He mentioned that the Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association, which represents more than 400 coffee shop owners, is a significant partner in the cleanliness drive, but has offered no concrete details on what these coffee shops are doing to improve the cleanliness of their toilets.

The PHC is funded by taxpayers' money and the public has a right to know what it is doing in concrete terms, and what the measurable outcomes of its efforts are.

Jack Sim

Founder, World Toilet Organisation

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