Paris is stepping up to relieve a real problem: Where to go, after hours, when most of the city’s automated public toilets shut down for the night. At present only 20 are open 24/7; another 150 will switch to all-night operation, and 50 new locations will be installed.
It’s a response to complaints about an increase in “wild peeing” (pipi sauvage) and to increased use of the facilities. JCDecaux, the company that operates them for the city, says use has increased by 41% since 2011, with busy locations getting 200 uses a day. Part of the increase can be attributed to former mayor Bernard Delanoe making the toilets free of charge.
It’s a case of “you can’t make everyone happy,” though: some residents want more toilets to combat the pipi sauvage problem; others dislike having them on the street and complain about smells (personal experience: the automatic cleaning equipment that is used after every customer is effective.)
In addition to making more facilities available, the city has increased the find for public urination from €35 to €68, and has been issuing more tickets.
