Is the Fee for Mobile Toilets Reasonable?

Whether the fee for mobile toilets is reasonable requires discussion on a case-by-case basis and cannot be generalized.

Firstly, from the perspective of legality, if public toilets are to charge fees, they must obtain approval from the price department. This is the fundamental prerequisite for the legality of the charging behavior. If the operator of a mobile toilet charges fees without approval, such behavior is considered a violation. In such cases, consumers have the right to report to the price department to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Secondly, if the charging behavior of mobile toilets has been approved by the price department, then from a legal standpoint, such charging behavior is legitimate. However, legality does not necessarily imply reasonableness. For example, in some places, the charging standard for mobile toilets is as high as 10 yuan per use, which exceeds the general expectations of the public. For people with limited financial means, such a charging standard is clearly unacceptable. More importantly, this charging standard lacks a basis for price reasonableness and does not indicate how the charging standard was formulated or whether there is reasonable cost accounting. In such cases, even if the charging behavior is legal, it may still spark controversy due to the high price.

Finally, special circumstances also need to be considered. In areas where public service facilities are scarce, such as tourist areas by the sea, the charging for mobile toilets may be more regarded as a commercial behavior. In such cases, as long as the merchant applies for approval in accordance with legal procedures and pays rent and taxes normally, their charging behavior is somewhat reasonable to a certain extent. Of course, this does not mean that merchants can set prices arbitrarily; their prices still need to be managed and supervised by the price bureau to ensure that they do not harm the interests of consumers.