Opinion: Our markets need public toilets more than new signboards

Every few years, a market in Lahore gets a makeover. New signboards, matching shutters, a few lights. Then shoppers go back to asking the same question: where is the nearest toilet?

For women and older people, the answer decides how long they can stay. Many simply cut their shopping short. Shopkeepers lose sales they never see.

A clean, staffed toilet block with a small fee costs less than a single season of decorative lights. It also pays for its own upkeep.

If the next renovation committee wants a measure of success, it should count how long families stay in the market, not how bright the signboards look.

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