Public toilet regulations issued

The Ministry of Health has released draft regulations on the standard of hygiene in public toilets.

The draft sets limits for odor intensity and the number of flies and maggots in the vicinity of such facilities.

No more than three flies per square meter should appear in public toilets and no more than one fly per square meter should be spotted in toilets built in other buildings.

The draft also recommends that public toilets have double the number of cubicles for women as they have for men.

Long lines of women waiting to use toilets in Beijing and Guangzhou prompted female students from universities last year to launch a campaign called "occupy men's toilets".

The ministry's draft regulation also sets out standards for cleaning, disinfecting, design, layout, construction and routine maintenance of public toilets.

The public has been invited to submit opinions through fax or e-mail before March 31, according to a statement on the ministry's website on Thursday.