![\"lava-mae-bus\"](\"https:\/\/www.livinghouse.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/lava-mae-bus-1.jpg\")
The Lava Mae Bus<\/p><\/div>\n
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From bus to mobile bathroom<\/b><\/p>\n
After several months of planning and a $75,000 refit, a decommissioned bus donated by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency was transformed into a mobile shower facility. Catering for male, female and disabled passengers, the bus has two bathrooms complete with changing room, shower, sink and toilet and visits the city\u2019s worst affected areas. These include the downtown \u2018Tenderloin\u2019 area and the Mission district.<\/p>\n
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Doniece Sandoval explains in one of Lava Mae\u2019s promotional videos that the service is free of charge and offers \u201c20 minutes of complete privacy and respite to hopefully recharge yourself in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Thanks to the city\u2019s Public Utilities Commission the mobile shower bus\u2019 water supply is provided via fire hydrants located on the street. However, Lava Mae does have to pay for the water used.<\/p>\n
\u00a0![\"lava-mae-bus-shower\"](\"https:\/\/www.livinghouse.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/lava-mae-bus-shower-1.jpg\")
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Aiming to launch a full service<\/b><\/p>\n
So far the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has donated one bus to the project and depending on the scheme\u2019s success, will donate a further three. Doniece Sandoval hopes to roll-out a full service across the country in spring 2015.<\/p>\n
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Interest in the scheme has been worldwide with groups and individuals as far afield as Brazil and Singapore keen to provide a Lava Mae for their own communities. Do you think this idea would work in the UK?<\/p>\n
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Did you know?<\/b><\/p>\n
The name Lava Mae was inspired by \u2018lavame\u2019, the Spanish for \u2018wash me\u2019 and adorns the bus along with the tagline, \u2018one shower at a time’.<\/p>\n
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