每个国家都会在车站、机场等公共场所设置厕所，以方便人们使用。然而，据最近公布的数据表明，在英国，去公共厕所 “方便” 这件事正变得越来越难，这是因为英国政府已经停止维护多处公厕。

 

When you've got to go, you've got to go. At least that's the old saying! It refers to the often inconvenient¹ need for a person to visit the toilet. It can happen to us all. There you are, out and about - when suddenly your bladder informs you that you need to spend a penny. The logical thing to do is tie a knot in it until you get to your destination, but what if you're busting²? That's when you head straight to the nearest public lavatory³. But in the UK, that might prove tough.

 

Public loos in the UK appear to be going down the toilet. At least 673 public restrooms across the UK have not been maintained by their councils since 2010, according to figures obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act. That means there are 13% fewer places where a person can have a tinkle⁴. Why is this?

 

It's a combination of two factors. Councils in the UK are facing enormous pressure to reduce spending. By 2020, they will have experienced a 54% reduction in funding from central government, according to the UK's Local Government Association. Secondly⁵, there is no legal requirement for a local authority to provide a location to relieve yourself. As a result, toilet upkeep often gets 'flushed' to save money. Many councils have handed over the running of some toilets to parish councils, private companies or community groups.

 

Councils have a 'moral responsibility' to provide access to public toilets, Raymond Martin of the British Toilet Association told the BBC. And it would seem that they know it, too. Despite closures, many councils have backed schemes to allow the public to use private business facilities to do their business. The City of London has run a community toilet scheme since 2012, giving the public free access to their toilets during trading hours, and Derry City and Strabane District Council's Community Toilet Scheme offers businesses in their remit⁶ a financial incentive⁷ to allow the public to powder their noses. In addition, Network Rail, owner and operator of the railway infrastructure⁸ in Britain, has plans in the pipeline⁹ to scrap¹⁰ entry fees at all of its station toilets from 2019.

 

So it seems all hope is not lost. Despite the fact that council-run public toilet numbers are down, there are alternatives available. Rather than having to cross your legs, look around. You can always find somewhere that will let you polish the porcelain¹¹.

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