You can now use toilets, restrooms in any hotel or restaurant in South Delhi

In a welcome move, authorities in South Delhi have ordered restaurants and hotels to make their toilets available to the public.

Starting from April, anybody in south Delhi can walk into a restaurant or hotel and use their toilets or restroom, even if they are not customers, at a small price.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Tuesday made it mandatory for eateries in the area to allow the public access to their toilets for a nominal fee of Rs 5 to cover the cost of maintenance.

This will make over 4,500 toilets accessible for the public.

Localities like Saket, Hauz Khas Village and Shahpur Jat fall under the SDMC's jurisdiction and will see the implementation too.

The order applies to all hotels and restaurants in south Delhi, particularly those seeking health trade licences from SDMC, reported Business Standard.

The move is aimed at combating the lack of restrooms in public spaces and curbing the sight of men relieving themselves in public.

Moreover, among the existing number of toilets in South Delhi (580 public urinals and 480 toilets) only 140 can be used by women, reported Hindustan Times.

This move will go a long way to help increase the access of restrooms by women.

The idea to open up restaurants and hotels' restrooms for public use came from the advice made by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to the SDMC.