Lodi Gardens is a hotspot even in the chilliest of winter mornings, bustling with people. Now there is a perk for the frequenters of the park. The five pay-and-use toilets on the garden premises are now free during peak hours, from 6 to 9 am and 6 to 8 pm.
Earlier, it was a complete pay-and-use facility. With free hours, the daily collection from these toilets has gone down by 70%. However, NDMC chairperson Jalaj Shrivastav said the idea was to provide comfort to residents, even if it meant a cut in revenue.
“Old people come in the morning for a walk. Women come for a jog or exercises. Money is not our priority, comfort for residents is,” Shrivastav said.
However, an attendant had another view, “People who come during the peak hours are usually very rich. In between, you have 50-odd couples and college and school students coming in. It is unfair to give free facility to the rich and charge a fee from regular people.”