The hotel and restaurant associations of south Delhi has on Wednesday agreed to open their toilets to women only, for a trial period of one month. The facility will be provided for free to any woman wanting to use the restrooms.
The decision was taken after the South Delhi Municipal Corporation called a meeting with representatives of prominent associations, chaired by SDMC commissioner Puneet Goel.
The members demanded the freedom to restrict entry if someone was found breaching the safety and security of restaurants or misusing the facility.
“We are open to the SDMC’s decision. But there are certain difficulties associated with it and we want the SDMC to address all of them before making it a policy. We are hopeful that during the next meeting, proposed on May 1, 2017, all the concerns of the industry shall be addressed,” said Riyaaz Amlani of National Restaurant Association of India.
On March 14, the SDMC issued directions to all hotels, restaurants and eateries in its jurisdiction to make their washrooms accessible to the public from April 1. Many restaurant associations opposed the move.
“Considering there aren’t sufficient toilets for women, especially at big markets and commercial areas, we agreed to the associations’ decision to allow entry to women only. After one month, we will review the situation,” said an SDMC official.
