BANGALORE: Time and again lack of maintenance at public toilets have been reported by the media. But, this time around, it is not the maintenance that is creating a nuisance but the charge on toilet usage at the bus stand of Shivajinagar that has attracted the attention of many.Adding to their already apologetic travelling conditions, commuters are faced with a new difficulty. This time it is the fights for using the public toilet. As per the charges written outside the toilet wall, one has to pay `2 for using the toilet and absolutely no charges at all for using the urinals. But here is the glitch, people sitting at the counter to collect the money are adamant on charging `3 for using both the gents and ladies toilet.Every other day, there is some passenger or the other who is in urgent need to answer the call of nature but ends up fighting right in front of these public toilet even if it is for two rupees.Shamla, a daily commuter to Koramangala, was fuming when she said, “ I travel from here every day, and every other day I have to put up a fight with these fellows. They are adamant to not give up, I just throw Rs 2 and walk in.”Sridevi, another commuter said, “Either they should change what they have written to Rs 3 or charge according to it. An amount of Rs 3 might not be that much but money does not fall from trees you know.”When you ask the people at the counter why they are charging extra and also when you point out that using the urinals is free, pat comes the reply “All that doesn’t work here. Pay Rs 3 and make use of the toilet. Otherwise go somewhere else.”This issue is not restricted to Shivajinagar alone. Countless travellers face the same issue at most pay and use public toilets. Some travellers opine that this could be because, such toilets are not directly under any authority. The toilets are hired by private parties through tenders and the extra money collected might be a commission for them.On second thought if these public toilets were not meant for the comfort of public then its high time the authorities came up with a better idea.
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