Chennai to Mark 900+ Public Toilets as No Fee Zone to Stop Illegal Charges
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to install ‘No Fee Zone’ boards in more than 900 public toilets across the city, aiming to put an end to illegal fee collection by some sanitation staff. The first phase-covering around 250 toilets in Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Marina Beach-will roll out over the next two months.
These units fall under an older public–private partnership model, where contractors handled construction for one year and maintenance for eight. As many of these facilities near completion or refurbishment, GCC is standardizing communication to ensure the public clearly knows that usage is completely free.
The initiative follows the launch of a new blue-and-red ‘No Fee’ logo on November 19, marking World Toilet Day. Each toilet will receive:
- A “No Fee Zone” board at the entrance
- A3 posters inside the facility
- Badges for sanitation workers
All meant to reinforce that no charges should be collected from users.
The project includes toilets managed under the DBFOT model, where GCC bears 40% of the capital cost and repays private operators over eight years.
Officials expect all citywide boards to be installed by December 2026, as more units are completed next year.
