JCDecaux ramps up development of public self-cleaning toilets in France, worldwide
Public toilets are historic street furniture that were created as a public health measure. They were first built in France in the 19th century, in order to address the squalor in public spaces. This piece of street furniture has continually transformed in design and functionality, from the first public urinals in Paris in 1834 to more recent models, including the automatic self-cleaning toilets created in 1980. Public toilets are an essential service, built to enhance the quality of urban life.
More than ever, in a time of growing health, cleanliness and hygiene challenges in cities during the Covid-19 pandemic, public toilets must provide fully accessible services to all members of the general public, including increasing their standing capacity due to their frequent use. To this end, JCDecaux has produced an enclosed urinal model that is attached to the public toilet facility. By providing another solution, the main toilet is freed up for those in greater need, such as females and people with disabilities. As such, it considerably boosts daily capacity. Already rolled out in Paris (50 models), the first of 24 urinals has just been installed in Marseille. This supplements JCDecaux’s offer, with urinals also operational in Bayonne, Berlin (72 models) and Dusseldorf. From the outset, the Paris models were equipped with hand gel dispensers, even before the current health crisis.
The urinals are frequently used and have been well-received by the public, as they meet a pressing need. They are part of the world-leading network of public toilets designed and maintained by JCDecaux. In France, the network comprises 1,200 toilets located in 150 municipalities, including: Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nancy, Nantes, Paris, Toulouse and Tours. In total, the network provides 2,500 toilets located in 293 cities across 29 countries. The facilities are used 30 million times a year, and more than 700 million times since the launch of the first JCDecaux public toilet in 1980.
Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said: “JCDecaux’s automatic public toilets respond to a basic daily need. They are integral to global urban landscapes, thanks to our excellent R&D and service and maintenance teams. The collective efforts of our teams allow us to provide full accessibility, delivering coverage and quality of service which can answer region-specific challenges. Since 1980, through our vision and innovation, we have committed to providing partner local communities with increasingly efficient street furniture. Our new urinal model is a testament to the highly specialised expertise of our teams in delivering fully accessible self-cleaning toilets. This year’s World Toilet Day aims to raise citizen awareness of the circumstances faced by 4.2 billion people still living without access to adequate and safe sanitation. JCDecaux is proud to actively play its part in combatting the global sanitation crisis. The Group’s public toilets have been developed with the objective of realising the UN’s sustainable development goal #6, ensuring clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.”
About JCDecaux France
JCDecaux is present in over 150 towns and cities in France, in 26 airports and in the world of premium retail. As the urban media, it is fully integrated in the daily lives of citizens and consumers.
In an increasingly mobile media world, JCDecaux offers brands visibility at international, national, regional and hyper-local levels.
As digitisation continues to develop, JCDecaux is expanding its solutions to offer customised and contextualised campaigns.
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