Trnava city’s public transport (source: Tomáš Kӧppl)
Bus drivers in the Slovak city of Trnava say they are being forced to relieve themselves outdoors because there are no toilets at many bus terminus stops.
One driver, who works for the city’s public transport service and asked not to be named, said he had raised the problem with his employer, the labour law enforcement agency, the public health authority and, finally, the media, according to My Trnava.
“We often have to go in front of the public. People take photos or videos, and sometimes we get into arguments,” he said. “Once, I suddenly needed the toilet and had no choice but to go next to the bus. Many of my colleagues have similar stories.”
When he first joined, he asked managers how drivers should handle bathroom breaks. “They told me: everyone does it their own way,” he said. In some cases, drivers are told to use nearby cafés or restaurants. At the Pekné Pole terminus, drivers are specifically told they must not relieve themselves there, as residents have previously complained.
The driver said the issue is especially difficult now that more women are joining the workforce.
He and colleagues have suggested installing portable cabin toilets with sinks and running water, as in other Slovak cities such as Nitra.
Some toilets are ‘useless’
In July, he made a formal complaint. Health inspectors visited the bus company, Arriva, and confirmed that it provides toilets at two of its buildings – one near the main train and bus stations, and another at company headquarters. Officials said these meet the legal requirements.
The driver argues these locations are useless for city bus routes because no buses stop there during the day. “I can only use them at the start and end of my shift,” he said.
In late June, the city changed several bus routes and stop locations. A public health official said it is not possible to have toilets everywhere because the network is too large, and recommended the company and city work together to fix the problem.
Arriva spokesperson Peter Stach said the company does “everything possible” to provide access to toilets, but in some places conditions do not allow it. Portable toilets, he added, cannot be placed on public roads or private property without the owner’s permission. The city council confirmed it is in talks with the company about the issue.
According to Arriva, similar challenges exist in other Slovak cities, and toilet access for drivers depends largely on the routes they drive.
