Tainan County is focusing on the state of its public toilets as part of an effort to maintain a clean and comfortable environment, an official at the county’s Bureau of Environmental Protection said yesterday.
Since 2006, the bureau has been carrying out monthly inspections of the 1,054 public toilets under the county government’s jurisdiction, including those in parks and at gas stations, sightseeing spots and bus and train stations, the official said.
School toilets under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and toilets in private stores are not included, the official said.
The county government offers cash prizes ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$20,000 (US$620) to units that best manage their restroom facilities, as assessed by the bureau, in a bid to improve public washroom facilities, the official said.
Cleaners who keep public washrooms clean are also given presents as rewards, the official said.
With the cooperation of all concerned, the program has been showing results, as only two restrooms failed to meet the inspection standards last month, the official said, adding that since then they have made improvements.
In step with its efforts to clean up public toilets, the Tainan County Government has been holding an environmental competition among its 31 townships since 2006, and has designated the second Saturday of every month as Cleaning Day, the official said.
Every Cleaning Day, Tainan County Commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智) and government staff visit different townships to help with the clean-up work to encourage wider participation by county residents, the official said.
The county also imposes strict penalties for violations of its environmental rules, such as illegal dumping and pasting of flyers on public property, the official said.
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