IAM expects to complete public toilet renovations this year

The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced yesterday that it expects to complete the renovations of 83 public toilets in the city within this year.

IAM President José Maria da Fonseca Tavares made the announcement during a press conference at the IAM headquarters in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro.

According to previous IAM announcements, the bureau has completed the renovations of several public toilets during the past few months.

Tavares said yesterday that in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, his bureau had decided to push ahead with its plan to renovate its public toilets across the city more quickly as part of the government’s epidemic prevention and control work.

Tavares also said that the quicker implementation of his bureau’s public toilet renovation project would help carry out the government’s ongoing work to support local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic.

“We [the bureau] aim to create opportunities for local SMEs to participate in the [public toilet renovation] project,” Tavares said.

According to Tavares, in addition to his bureau’s project to renovate 23 public toilets, his bureau would also redesign and renovate 60 public toilets in collaboration with the Macau Architects Association (AAM).

According to Tavares, the Macau Architects Association will choose 20 local architecture firms to redesign the 60 public toilets, with each firm to redesign three public toilets. Each firm will charge 100,000 patacas for the design of each public toilet.

Tavares said that the designs of the 60 public toilets were slated to be completed in April, adding that his bureau expected the renovations of the first batch of public toilets to get off the ground in May.

According to Tavares, his bureau’s public toilet renovation project will include the installation of automatic faucets, automatic soap gel dispensers, and flush toilets with sensors. Deodorant devices will also be installed in the public toilets to tackle the problem of unpleasant odours.

The public toilet renovation project will increase the number of cubicles in each public toilet, and “adjust” the proportion of male and female cubicles in each public toilet, according to Tavares. The project will also increase “natural” ventilation and lighting in the public toilets, he pledged.

Tavares also said that his bureau expected the public toilet renovation project to create 1,200 job opportunities.

This photo taken yesterday evening shows a public toilet at Vasco da Gama Garden. Photo: Tony Wong