If you are a traveller who loves to travel to different places then you must have encountered the issue of the unclean and unhygienic public restrooms. We all must have faced this issue, but we never paid any heed to it. Yashwant Singh looked into this problem quite seriously and started Lootel in 2017.
Lootel is a smart technology-enabled, opulent restroom. Its name is a combination of the words ‘Loo’ and ‘Hotel’. It provides a premium restroom facility to travellers at the bus stand and offers pocket-friendly food services as well. They charge Rs.10 for the restroom for which they get a discount after buying something from the cafe.
The Cleanest Restrooms
The café operates under the “pay, use, and redeem” philosophy. To use the restroom, you need a receipt that is issued by a machine situated behind the café. You have 24 hours from the time you finish using the facilities to use the receipt at the café.
Their crew works from 5 am to 11 pm. The restrooms stay clean, dry and hygienic and are cleaned by their workers after every usage. A separate restroom is also provided for individuals with disabilities at no cost.
Yashwant has always invested in technology, but over the last three years, it has undergone constant change as a result of various problems. They are currently implementing IoT (Internet of Things) in their restrooms. The technology is quite helpful and provides complete real-time access to the condition of public restrooms.
The restrooms contain antibacterial toilet seats which protect it from staining and bad odors. The restrooms also have central air conditioning to make the visitors comfortable and at peace while using the restroom. People can also take advantage of shower facilities that are water-efficient and get-ready deals, with which they offer a shower kit at a low cost.
Lootel offers its customers access to high-speed Wi-Fi that can be managed by cellphones, computers, and tablets. Their internet-connected café revolutionize the way they are created, maintained, and operated. They were granted permission on the condition that they utilize at least 50% of the space for the Restroom for which they utilized more than 70% of space.
The outlet uses advanced technology systems which include, an emergency button that can sound an alarm and notify the central control room. The Restroom cum Café also includes a Fire Warning in case of emergency. It also has odour detectors and water consumption sensors.
How It Started?
Yashwant Singh, the founder of Lootel cafe is an Industrial designer and was working with the automotive OEM company as an automotive designer. He never had any intention to work in the sanitation industry. But, one day his life changed. While he was on a bus trip with his wife who had to use a toilet but didn’t find any place with clean restroom facilities which is a necessity for any female. So, she decided to go into a dark corner. One guy started following her on her way but, Yashwant was able to raise an alarm on time.
This is not an isolated incident; women frequently experience this, and some may not be as fortunate as Neelam was. Having this thought, Yashwant thought everyone must have access to a clean, hygienic, and pleasant bathroom, regardless of gender and made the decision to open Lootel, a cosy and opulent restroom with sophisticated technology and delicious fast food service.
We have heard a lot of stories where a man saved women but, read about – A Lady Pilot Who Saved 185 Passengers In A Plane On Fire.
Yashwant realized that the bathrooms don’t get cleaned after usage. So, the fundamental issue with the public restroom was that it is more operational than structural.
After identifying the problem, Yashwant along with his wife Neelam Singh contacted AICTSL ( Atal Indore City Transport Services Limited ) with their idea of opening a cafe at the bus stand with a neat and clean restroom facility. This idea was found to be very unique and was allocated 120 sqft of space.
Working Model
For the working of Lootel, Yashwant Singh works with municipal councils and files public tenders. Then depending upon the location the council grants them permission for the place. Despite delays and changes in officers, Yashwant gets full support from the government for his startup.
Currently, the outlet has a footfall of more than 200 to 300 customers per day which sometimes reaches 600 people.
If You Want To Read More About Lootel, You Can Check Out Their Website: Lootel, LinkedIn
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