ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Portable toilets that can only be accessed via a QR code are being deployed on the Los Angeles metro system.

The Throne units are designed to offer secure washroom provision in places where they are needed most.

The toilets have been brought in following years of complaints from LA Metro passengers regarding poor washroom provision. The fact that a unique user ID is required to use them helps to address the problem of misuse and vandalism. Users are asked to scan a QR code which then pre-loads a text on to their phone. And after sending the text, the door automatically slides open.

Each user is asked to rate the cleanliness of their Throne unit after use and can report any issues via text. Throne uses this feedback to optimise cleaning schedules and respond to any problems.

"It's just behavioural science," says Throne co-founder and COO Jessica Heinzelman. "If somebody knows that they've used their phone to get into a bathroom, they're treating it a little bit nicer."

Throne bathrooms are claimed to be cheaper to clean and maintain because problem users can be banned from the system. So far around 375 out of 37,144 users across the national Throne network have been access-restricted, according to Heinzelman.

The units are serviced by gig workers who sign up to clean specific toilets at times to suit themselves via an app. And the fact that the portable, touchless trailers require no mains water supply or electricity hook-up means they can be rapidly deployed wherever they are needed. There are currently 14 Thrones in the LA Metro system, with four more set to roll out this month (April).