Changing the idea of public toilets, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai has proposed to replicate Pune’s ‘Ti’ toilet concept by converting an old bus into a mobile toilet for women. The toilets will be equipped with TV facilities and Wifi for women.
The concept of ‘Ti’ toilet was first started in Pune in 2017 on the occasion of Women’s Day. ‘Ti’ in Marathi refers to ‘She’ and also for ‘Toilet Integration’.
Happy #WorldToiletDay2018! Today, we proudly open the doors of our new ‘Mobile Toilet for Her’ advancing safe, hygienic and pleasurable sanitation for women in Pune, India. #ToiletBoardCoalition #SanitationEconomy #CleanIndia #swatchhbharat https://t.co/f8IXzDjXPp pic.twitter.com/SW7VlFX5ss
— Firmenich (@firmenich) November 19, 2018
"Ti"- The mobile toilet service for women by PMC.#pune #pmc #services #womensday #SmartCity pic.twitter.com/WZAgMw9Se6
— PMC Care (@PMCPune) March 8, 2017
The idea will be implemented first on the marine drive service road in Mumbai and will be equipped with female hygiene products and a digital feedback machine for better services, among other features. The buses will also feature advertisements to generate revenue. Of the total, 90% of the revenue generated would go to the operator and 10% will be given to BMC.
The BMC on September 9 reached out to the makers of Pune’s ‘Ti’ toilet concept, Sara Plast India Limited to supply and install the facility in Mumbai. In the letter to the creators, BMC mentioned a few compliance conditions- space, water and electricity connections that will be provided by BMC, and costs for the same will be borne by them for a period of one year.
The ‘Ti’ bus drainage will also be provided by BMC and permission would be given to make it a pay-and-use model with a charge of Rs 5 per person per-use.
The facilities at the mobile toilet also include a female attendant, sanitary napkin disposal machines, WiFi, LED screens for social messages and sanitizer sprays for western toilets.
“In the beginning, the bus will be stationed at one spot. But in the future, we plan to have such a facility moving around Mumbai. There are two reasons we chose Marine Drive for installation, as the area is a listed heritage precinct so no permanent constructions are allowed without seeking the heritage’s committee’s permission. However, the area witnesses a large inflow of locals and tourists, especially on weekends and therefore it is imperative that we provide such a facility for their benefit,” civic officials told The Times Of India.
Such an initiative is laudable as women often face inconvenience in accessing public toilets. Ideas such as this, go beyond the usual call for public toilets and serve women in their fight for access to public spaces. The Logical Indian applauds BMC and urges other cities to emulate the model.
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