Metro switches to plastic faucets to ward off thieves

Shanghai's metro operator plans to replace the metal faucets in subway station bathrooms with ones made of plastic to better deal with theft and vandalism, local media reported Thursday.

Shanghai Shentong Metro Group, the local subway operator, hopes the replacement faucets will discourage theft and lower the cost of repairing faucets at the subway's 236 public bathrooms, according to company press officer Lan Tian.

The metal faucets and infrared urinal sensors in the bathrooms cost between 200 yuan ($32) to 300 yuan, according to a report in the Youth Daily.

Thieves and vandals frequently steal or damage the faucets, which inconveniences passengers and subway staff. "Sometimes we have to install new copper faucets every week," a janitor at the People's Square Station told Youth Daily.

The thefts most often take place at crowded downtown stations, such as People's Square Station, or stations in the city's outskirts, where supervision is laxer. "In most cases, passengers steal faucets at random or just damage them for kicks," Lan told the Global Times.

Shanghai Shentong has been working with local police to investigate the cases, especially for habitual thefts. "It is difficult to catch people who steal or damage the fixtures because we don't have monitoring devices in the bathrooms," Lan told the Global Times.

Lan confirmed that the company is working on a plan to replace the faucets, but the details were not yet available.