Dao Thi Nga, owner of a café on Truc Bach Street in Ba Dinh District, has allowed tourists to access the facility's toilet free of charge. When local authorities in Truc Bach Ward rolled out the Free Toilet initiative, she actively embraced it.
On Wednesday morning, Nga started hanging a green sign reading Free Toilet with a smiling face icon at her café'.
Dao Thi Nga has allowed tourists to access the facility's toilet free of charge (Photo by Nguyen Ngoan)
"Over the past 11 years, I've always let customers use the toilet at my coffee shop. It's a basic need, especially in areas full of tourists but lacking public toilets.
She noticed many foreign tourists, hindered by the language barrier, anxiously looking for a toilet. Even local visitors often had to purchase a bottle of water or a pack of cigarettes to access a shop's toilets.
"I've experienced that myself while travelling, so I get it and wanted to offer tourists free access to my toilet," Nga said.
According to Nga, while she may occasionally encounter careless visitors, acts of kindness will make the street more welcoming and improve the overall experience for tourists.
A restaurant owner on Hang Than Street has also displayed the Free Toilet sign. "It felt a bit inconvenient at first," she said, "but with more businesses joining, we can work together to assist tourists, and it won't hurt business."
It is easy to seen free toilet signs on Hang Than Street (Photo by Nguyen Ngoan)
Nhat Nam, 27, from Hai Ba Trung District, was surprised to discover a free public toilet. "As a frequent visitor to tourist sites, I often struggle to find a clean toilet. I hope this model will be expanded to make Hanoi a friendlier destination," he said.
Le Tat Thanh, chairman of Truc Bach Ward, said the locality had launched the Free Toilet model on streets with dining and lodging businesses. The programme is based on Hanoi residents' voluntary participation, so they are not required to serve impolite or disrespectful visitors.
Around 20 households on Truc Bach, Hang Than, and Ngu Xa streets have joined the model (Photo by Nguyen Ngoan)
Around 20 households on Truc Bach, Hang Than, and Ngu Xa streets have joined the model. By the April 30 -May 1 holiday, some 80 percent of households and facilities on these streets are expected to participate.
The ward will update the Free Toilet data on its portal, website, and fan page so visitors can easily find free toilets when necessary.
