If you’ve always avoided the Cape Town CBD because of the lack of clean public toilets, here is something to change your mind.
The portable public toilet project in the CBD has been hailed as a resounding success, with nearly 300 000 people making use of the loos since 2022.
A joint venture between the Cape Town Central Improvement District (CCID), the City and non-governmental organisation Khulisa Social Solutions, 14 toilets are located in pairs on the corner of Adderley and Darling Streets, in Longmarket Street, Upper Long Street and Barrack Street, with the remaining six toilets at the public ablution facility on Green Market Square.
CCID CEO, Tasso Evangelinos, said from May 2022 to 31January 2024 a total of 297 063 people used the serviced toilets.
Evangelinos says: “There is a scarcity of public ablution facilities in the CBD, and the long-standing ones are only open during normal working hours.
“We wanted to address this shortage but also provide clean, safe facilities that were not only open during the day, but also at night.
“It’s clear from these figures that the convenient and clean facilities have been very well received and appreciated by all members of our CBD community.”
The project has also created a number of jobs, with at least 19 people employed to manage the toilets.
Manager of the CCID’s Urban Management Department, Kally Benito, said they collaborated with Streetscapes, a work-based rehabilitation programme that provides trained workers with a stipend to clean and sanitise the units.
Nearly 80 000 of those using the loos were homeless mense.
The toilets at Adderley and Darling Streets, Longmarket Street and on Greenmarket Square are open Monday to Sunday, from 7am to 11pm.
The units in Upper Long Street are open from Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm to 5am.