Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news

People in Shanghai can locate a washroom by simply making a phone call or sending a text message, as the nation's first search service for public toilet facilities was launched in the city yesterday.
The information platform, now on trial operation and covering 1,394 public toilets in downtown areas within the Middle Ring Road, is targeted at helping local residents and tourists alike, according to a circular issued by its developer the Shanghai Urban Aesthetics and Environmental Sanitation Bureau or SUAESB.
Calls to the hotline (962468) will be charged at normal in-city fixed-line rates, the notice stated. Feedback giving details of the nearest toilet, including its precise location and service hours, will be given within 30 seconds by phone or one minute by text message.
People can also log on www.962468.net to find information on toilets.
Since the call/SMS system is still on trial, there may be some errors in the information, according to Tang Jiafu, director with SUAESB's waste disposal management division.
Tang encouraged residents to contribute corrections and advice on the information. If the trial is successful, the system will be expanded to suburban areas and cover the entire city by year's end, with English-language service added at some point, he said.
Describing the search service as an essential part of the city's efforts to improve public toilet services, SUAESB officials said Shanghai has also initiated other measures to make the toilet service more convenient.
Street signs are usually positioned some 50 to 100 meters before a public toilet and direction signs are posted at refuse collection points and billboards along sidewalks, they said.
A map has been published as a quick guide to toilets and an electronic map has been launched to cover toilets in 10 downtown districts, they added.
Besides improving guidance services, the city has stepped-up construction of more toilets.
As laid out in Shanghai's 10th "Five-Year" development plan, by 2010 people will be able to find a public toilet within 300 meters inside the Inner Rind Road and within 800 meters inside the Outer Ring Road.
To achieve that, the total number of public toilets in Shanghai will rise from the existing 3,640 to 5,500 and the density of toilet facilities will be raised from the current three per square kilometer to five.