The Kerala High Court has modified an interim order passed by a Single Judge that directed that washrooms in petroleum retail outlets located beside national highway (NH) corridors remain open to members of the public round-the-clock.

A Division Bench of Justice Amit Rawal and Justice P.V. Balakrishnan on Thursday modified this and said that the washrooms ought to remain open to the public and others during working hours of the outlets. Display boards announcing the availability of washrooms and drinking water must be placed at the entrance of the outlets.

The High Court had in August directed that the washrooms remain open to members of the public round-the-clock, while being subject to matters like safety protocol and security considerations.

The modified interim order was passed in an appeal filed by Petroleum Traders Welfare and Legal Service Society and a few petroleum retailers. They had contended that the ‘private toilets’ they maintained at the fuel outlets for emergency use by customers were often being forced to be opened for public use. Many members of the public and even those who arrived on tourist buses were thus seeking access to the toilets, disrupting regular functioning of the outlets and sometimes leading to altercations on the high-risk premises.