A smart public toilet that trapped a trail runner for 10 minutes recently just came into use last month, Undersecretary for Environment and Ecology Diane Wong Shuk-han said.

This came after a trail runner could not open the toilet door near Lai Chi Wo in Sha Tau Kok and had to cry for help before someone rescued him by opening the door from outside.

LegCo member Michael Tien Puk-sun of the Roundtable was concerned after hearing that a runner had been trapped and indicated that the involved toilet had no emergency contact information or other way to seek assistance.

“The runner used the most traditional method, knocking on the door and shouting to solve this intelligence problem. I have the impression that this public toilet may be smart, but the person who designed it is not smart at all,” said Tien.

In a Legislative Council meeting on Monday, Wong said the incident involved “initiation problems” that have been solved.

Wong also said that the public toilet in question has an electronic lock that can be opened and closed with a wave of the hand and a manual door lock. The electronic lock, however, cannot be accessed if the manual lock is utilized. Instructions have also been put up in the facilities for better understanding.

She also mentioned that the public toilet has an emergency door switch, and personnel had confirmed that there was no problem with it following the inspection.

Wong added that members of the public might file concerns via the hotline or email, and the authorities have conducted a questionnaire study on the smart public toilets at Lai Chi Wo, where users were largely pleased.

Public toilet traps runner for 10 minutes, sparking safety concerns