Food stands and billboards attached to Beijing's public toilets will be removed by October as the city authorities work to improve the management of the toilets.

"It is not proper to sell soft drinks or snacks right at the toilets," the Beijing News reported on Saturday, citing sources with the Beijing Municipal Administration Commission.

The overhaul plan was made in response to complaints over toilets with poor sanitation and toilet operators turning them into commercial facilities.

The commission has ordered an immediate inspection by its district branches on the facilities and sanitation of all local toilets. Operators who fail to meet the sanitation standards by the end of September will have their toilet management licenses revoked. All food sales and billboards are banned.

Sources with the Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Research Institute attributed the bad odor in some toilets to insufficient ventilation facilities, and the lack or inappropriate use of deodorization products.

Beijing now has more than 5,000 public toilets. This year another 1,100 will be built, supplied with liquid hand soap.

The city authorities also planned to publish a toilet guide, provide toilet information over telephone and the Internet, and erect more road signs to help toilet users.

(Shenzhen Daily August 7, 2007)