Highway operator taps big data to gauge toilet usage

14th of April 2016
Highway operator taps big data to gauge toilet usage

Men spend an average of four minutes and four seconds in a public toilet. And an increasing number of them are choosing a cubicle over a urinal.

These were among the conclusions of a Japanese highway operator that has been collecting data on toilet usage at its service stations for 11 years.

Central Nippon Expressway installed real-time sensor panels in washrooms at 51 highway locations. The aim was to discover which cubicles were occupied and for how long in a bid to address customer complaints and monitor waiting times.

The data revealed that the four minute, four second average toilet break for men had increased by around 35 seconds over a seven-year period. This is thought to be mainly due to the increasing use of smartphones.

After analysing the data the company has revised the design of new men's toilets to be built at a 300-space car park. The proposed number of cubicles has been increased from eight to 14 while the number of urinals has been reduced from 24 to 18.

The information collected from the big data project also revealed that cubicles closer to the washroom's entrance are used more frequently than those located farther inside. The company is trying to redress this imbalance since frequently-used toilets deteriorate more quickly.

Central Nippon Expressway claims to have successfully tempted women away from the entrance cubicle at a ladies' facility by using brighter lighting and warmer colours on the doors of the cubicles further inside. Usage of the stalls near the entrance went down by nine per cent following the changes.

 

 

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