How to provide public toilets

Re: “Contractor’s controversial links unlikely to flush borough’s public toilet plan” (Montreal Gazette, April 12) Rather than installing public toilets in the downtown area at $250,000 a pop, Montreal should consider an approach that is being used in Europe: paying restaurants, bars and cafés to allow the public to use their facilities.

In Germany, a private company co-ordinates a program called Nice Toilets. The city pays $35 to $125 a month to a participating business, which puts a sticker in its window to tell people they can use the washroom for free. No need to pretend you’re a customer and sneak into the washroom — everyone is welcome.

The program is flexible: the city can ensure that there is a good distribution of washrooms in target areas, a range of opening times and enough places that are accessible to wheelchairs and children just by upping the payment offer until targets are reached. There are no capital costs and the businesses provide supplies and maintain the washrooms, so the city only needs a part-time inspector to ensure that signage is adequate and standards of hygiene are maintained.

A very practical, inexpensive and no-nonsense solution to the public pee problem.

Ray Tomalty, Montreal