Female bus drivers in Sydney's west have access to dedicated toilets for the first time as the NSW Government begins to roll out almost $18 million in new break facilities at 34 locations across the city.
Improved rest facilities were a recommendation of Labor's Bus Industry Taskforce which heard concerning stories of drivers taking buckets on the road with them and hundreds of drivers sharing a single portaloo in Parramatta for 15 years.
Until now, drivers at the busy Darcy Street Parramatta interchange layover have made do with one male and a unisex toilet, with no designated female toilet and a meal room too small to cater for demand.
The $500,000 upgrade in Parramatta provides an expanded meal room at Darcy Street and new male and female bathroom facilities at the Darcy and Argyle Street layovers.
Transport for NSW has also converted a shop near Charles Street, Parramatta into another meal room and female and male toilet facilities which replaces the unpopular portaloos on the side of the road - the only option for the hundreds of drivers using the layover for a decade and a half.
Rockdale, Cabramatta, Fairfield, Liverpool, Wynyard, and Hornsby bus interchanges have received upgrades.
Locations in line for better bus driver facilities in future, include:
- Bondi Junction
- Blacktown (2 locations)
- Mount Druitt
- Gordon
- Chatswood
- Edgecliff
- Circular Quay
- Penrith
- Riverstone
- Edmondson Park
- Leppington
- Macarthur
- Campbelltown
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"Sydney's bus drivers do such an important job in getting the rest of us where we need to go safely.
"The least they should expect is to be able to sit down for a meal and have access to toilet and bathroom facilities during their break.
"For too long these most basic of needs have not been met and it is frankly unbelievable that female drivers have not had designated facilities of their own at all locations until now.
"We heard the feedback of drivers, their unions and bus operators and hope that cleaner and better spaces to rest and recharge will be valued by our current drivers and help us to keep attracting new drivers to the ranks."
Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Marjorie O'Neill said:
"One of the first things I did as the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport was convene a Bus Industry Taskforce to examine the issues within the bus industry.
"One of the biggest issues we discovered was the lack of quality facilities for bus drivers to use on shift, and it is great to see the government working toward rectifying this issue.
"For too long these drivers have made do with temporary facilities but they can now rest and recharge in much more comfortable spaces."
Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said:
"This new facility benefits the people who help keep this city moving every day.
"Supporting the health and wellbeing of bus drivers is integral and improves the overall delivery of service across the network.
"This program is about respect. We know that improving facilities makes a big difference for our essential workforce and will help attract new drivers into the system."
