Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Public Toilet Taskforce and Cleanliness of Public Toilets

Question:

To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the progress and recommendations of the Public Toilets Taskforce on its plans to improve the cleanliness of public toilets; (b) to date, how many coffee shops are repeat offenders for toilet cleanliness issues and whether there are increased penalties for them; and (c) how can private coffee shops be held more accountable for toilet cleanliness.

Answer:

1 The Public Toilets Taskforce recently submitted to the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment its report containing its recommendations to improve the cleanliness of public toilets. The Taskforce’s recommendations include guidelines on toilet design, proposed grants to uplift toilet cleanliness and training of cleaners. My Ministry is currently studying the recommendations and will provide our response at the 2025 Committee of Supply debates.

2 Under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations, licensees of food establishments, including coffeeshops, may be fined up to $2,000 upon conviction for toilet-related offences. Licensees may also incur demerit points for lapses in public toilet cleanliness under the Points Demerit System (PDS). Coffeeshops that accumulate 12 demerit points within a 12-month period may be liable for a suspension of up to 3 days. In 2024, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) took about 960 toilet-related enforcement actions against around 500 coffeeshop operators, of which about 210 were repeat offenders. During the same period, SFA suspended 11 coffeeshops for toilet-related offences under the PDS.

3 Keeping our public toilets clean requires collective action. Coffeeshop owners and operators should ensure the provision of amenities, maintain sanitary fittings regularly, and uphold cleanliness standards of toilets. Users of the toilets should also play their part by using public toilets responsibly and keeping them clean for other users.