City officials in Zurich, Switzerland, have come up with an interesting way to make prostitution safer for the the women involved, prostitution is legal in Switzerland, and to remove the unseemly vibe neighborhoods get when the streets are filled with prostitutes, drive through "sex boxes," according to AFP.
The nine "sex boxes" are located in a garage-like structure located in a formerly industrial area of the city called Sihlquai. Each box is equipped with an alarm button to alert security personnel of a prostitute is in danger, according to CNN.
"Prostitution has escalated in the city," Michael Herzig, an official in the Zurich social services department, told CNN. "It was done out in the open on the street and men harassed passers-by.
"It was noisy and dirty because men took the prostitutes to a side street and left used condoms on the streets," Herzig continued. "The drive-ins are more discreet and safer."
The facilities are publicly funded and include bathrooms, a locker room,a laundry and a shower. Instead of roaming the streets looking for business the women will stand at the end of a short road forming a line-up in a cul-de-sac, according to Fox News.
"Safety for the prostitutes. At least it's a certain kind of a shelter for them.They can do their business, and I respect them," Daniel Hartmann, a Zurich based lawyer, told Fox News. "They do a great job, and they have better working conditions here. They're not exposed to the bosses, to the pimps, in here."
As with most publicly funded projects the installation of the "sex boxes" has stirred up emotions. The city government spent $2.6 million to build the facility and plans on spending about $700,000 per year to maintain it. Men are not charged to use the facility and sex workers are expected to pay five Swiss francs per night, according to CNN.
"The project is extremely controversial," Herzig said. "Prostitution is about morals and religion. But we leave these things aside and see it as a business. The humanitarian aspect is more important for us."
While the project may anger some citizens in Zurich this was not a case of government overstepping their bounds and spending tax money on a project nobody wanted. A referendum was held and the measure passed with 52 percent of the vote, according to CNN.
There is still some debate as to whether or not people will use the "sex boxes;" some argue that sex workers will be reluctant to use them because of the government involvement while others argue that the government run facility may intimidate customers away, according to AFP.
