Roadside toilets ‘are in the planning phase’

GOVERNMENT is considering installing public toilets along national roads. Currently, road users have no option but to pull over and relieve themselves in the bush, and farmers are complaining about unsightly toilet paper polluting their land.

The issue was discussed at a meeting between various ministries and community leaders at Tsumeb last week.Tsumeb Mayor Engel Nawatiseb said the challenge lay in putting up toilets along a national road network which stretches over 64 000 kilometres.Government first met to discuss the issue in September last year.’This is not only inconveniencing local people and tourists alike, but is also dangerous,’ Works and Transport Minister Helmut Angula said at the Tsumeb meeting.’Farmers along the road complain bitterly about what they wake up to in the morning when they discover used toilet paper flying around their farms. Rest stops are polluted to the extent that no one wants to use them. This situation is not only undesirable but unacceptable too,’ Angula said. The gathering discussed ways of keeping public toilets clean and safe, especially since they will be standing ‘in the middle of nowhere’.Nawatiseb suggested engaging the private sector, for example service station owners, as well as municipalities and village authorities in getting the project running.He suggested that people should pay to use such toilets, adding that this could create jobs for people living along roads.The idea is also to have these toilets incorporated in the construction of new toads such as the Tsumeb-Katwitwi link.The meeting brought together representatives of the Works Ministry, Environment and Tourism, Home Affairs and local councillors.