The city is promising more sanitary public bathrooms for its people -- better service, no more stink and no more filth.

The campaign calling for better public toilets and improved bathroom etiquette was launched on Monday in Shanghai.

The campaign consists of three phases and is expected to see an overall improvement in the city's public bathrooms before the World Expo in 2010.

By the end of next year, Shanghai will honor 100 banner bathrooms, with good facilities and services, and 10 banner living blocks with clean bathrooms.

From 2006 to 2007, 200 more banner bathrooms and 30 more banner living blocks will be added.

And before 2010, all public bathrooms in the city will have to reach certain standards.

"A banner bathroom must ensure good and clean facilities and amiable services," said Liu Weiguang, an official from the Shanghai City Appearance and Environmental Sanitation Bureau.

It stipulates that banner bathrooms will be cleaned at least once every 20 minutes.

"For some high-grade toilets, which charge 1 to 2 yuan (12 US cents to 24 US cents) each time, services will be offered in Chinese, English and sign language," said Liu.

All cleaners are required to pass training courses and get certain certificates before they finally take the job, which includes training in simple communication in English and sign language.

In addition, the distribution of these toilets will be re-arranged, and made more convenient.

"We will put our efforts into those toilets most frequently used, improving the facilities and services and adding more in key areas. And for those poor and scarcely used ones, we might take them down," said Liu.

The city now has some 3,800 public toilets and most of them need improvement.

"We will first focus our attention on public bathrooms in 10 downtown districts within the Inner Ring Road, major towns in suburban areas and in places of interest, and then cover all in the city," said Liu.

However, improvement of the facilities and services is not the only thing needed, better bathroom etiquette is required too.

"The result of damaging and defiling bathroom facilities and graffiti is still frequently seen everywhere," said Liu.

(China Daily October 20, 2004)