Vienna reviews free access to all public toilets

Vienna is continuing to examine whether all public toilets should be free to use, ORF reported. The review is included in the city’s coalition agreement, as toilet cubicles often require payment while urinals are free.

There is no result yet, according to the office of city councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky of the Social Democratic Party. The coalition agreement states that the city will examine making all public toilets free for everyone, without distinguishing between urinals and individual cubicles.

The issue has been repeatedly debated. A Viennese woman recently filed a lawsuit, arguing that the current system is discriminatory. Ombudswoman Gaby Schwarz has also criticised the situation for some time.

The fee applies at some public toilet locations. Vienna’s Municipal Department 48 manages 167 permanent facilities, and the city says no fee is charged at more than 80 percent of them. At 27 particularly busy facilities, external staff maintain cleanliness during specified service hours.

Using a cubicle at these facilities costs 50 cents, while the urinal area is freely accessible. The city says the fee reflects the higher cleaning costs. It also notes that outside staffed hours, especially at night, many of the facilities are free to use.

Salzburg plans a different approach

Salzburg shows that ending the difference between urinals and cubicles does not necessarily mean free entry for everyone. The city plans to raise fees generally at newly renovated facilities, probably from 2027. The charge will increase from 50 cents to one euro.

Urinals, which have usually been free, will also cost one euro under the new system. The city cites the high cost of renovating the toilets.

In Vienna, some toilets in the public transport network already require payment at the entrance. Wiener Linien introduced this toilet system several years ago.