Lawmaker urges installing washbasins in individual cubicles and listing them as design standard; Tse Chin-wan says various factors need consideration

Chan Chor-kam raised a written question, proposing that washbasins be installed in individual cubicles and included in the standard recommended scheme for newly completed and renovated restrooms. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan replied that various factors need to be considered. Most public toilets and country park restrooms have limited total floor area; enlarging cubicles to accommodate washbasins would reduce the total number of cubicles and increase queuing time. Washing hands inside cubicles could also wet the floor and increase the risk of slipping, while a washbasin breakdown would require the entire cubicle to be closed for repairs. The government will closely monitor trends in the design of public health facilities and introduce new technologies and equipment where practicable.