The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment has submitted a plan to the municipal People’s Committee on increasing the number of public restrooms and improving toilet service quality in the city.

As per the proposal, the municipal department will use funding from private sources to beef up the number of public bathrooms and improve sanitation services, facilitating toilet access for both residents and tourists.

The department attributed the dearth of public toilets in the city to a shortage of public land lots on which such facilities can be built.

Furthermore, investment in the construction of public toilets on land set aside for roads and wharves is facing legal obstacles.

In addition, the city’s administration has yet to issue detailed guidance on processes, procedures, and investment formats for public toilet construction.

Many state agencies, enterprises, and individuals have opposed building toilets on their property due to concerns over negative impacts on the cityscape and environmental pollution.

Poor management and maintenance of public toilets in the districts and Thu Duc City under the administration of Ho Chi Minh City led to a lack of public sanitation facilities and a soaring number of deteriorated public bathrooms.

Public toilets in Ho Chi Minh City are mainly situated in District 1, District 3, Binh Tan District, and Binh Chanh District.

The city is currently home to 866 public toilets, including 491 owned by restaurants, eateries, and coffee shops.

In response to a call from the municipal administration, these restaurants and coffee shops are offering free-of-charge bathrooms in order to expand public access to toilets.

Binh Chanh District has 127 public toilets, while District 1 is home to 100 public restrooms.

Districts 7, 12, and 5 have 23, 36 and 4 public toilets, respectively.

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