Canberra CBD has abandoned a temporary trial of portable urinals for men in Civic to cope with an influx of people drinking during the busy Christmas and New Year period, citing a lack influence on human behaviour.
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First trialled during the Easter period last year, the portable urinals were installed on Verity Lane in the Sydney Building, on Alinga Street near the taxi rank, and diagonally across from King O'Malley's
Despite hopes the urinals would dissuade Canberrans from urinating in laneways, Canberra CBD chief executive Jane Easthop said the toilets had a minimal influence on the behaviour of intoxicated Canberrans.
"Putting portable urinals in the city is no different to running an anti-smoking campaign for one week a year - it's just not going to change behaviours," she said.
"People are pretty amazing and do things I would never dream of doing in laneways – some weekends we have faeces in the laneways."
Up to 380 litres of urine were captured by the portable toilets in just two days during December 2013, with another 340 litres collected over New Years' Eve and a further 90 litres during January 3-5.
Ms Easthope said the decision to end the portable urinals trial was "not a matter of money but of a broader community use of public space when intoxicated".
According to the Canberra CBD Limited annual report, it cost $4.22 every time a person used the public urinals during the Christmas and New Years' Eve period with a total cost of $12,838.
Canberra CBD had previously praised the portable urinal scheme with an estimated 2162 men using the portables and 655 litres of urine collected during the March trial last year.
"We are particularly pleased that the men in the clubbing and pubbing community enjoyed the convenience of the portable urinals, even if they were bright red and somewhat exposed," said Ms Easthope after the initial trial.
But Canberra CBD have assured Canberrans there will be no shortage of public toilets during the Christmas and New Years' Eve period despite the discontinuation of the portable urinals.
"Because Christmas in the City is such a major event we will have some portable toilets associated with that," said Ms Easthope.
On the spot fines of $200 can be issued to anyone caught urinating in public in the ACT.
