‘GIVE us toilets on our stands, don’t just sit there on your hands!’ shouted over 300 bus workers outside Victoria Coach Station yesterday morning.
TGWU members from across London are demanding proper facilities on all routes. They were lobbying offices of Transport for London in the coach station.
News Line spoke to a number of the protesters. Deborah Dennis, a bus driver from Travel London, said: ‘We just want toilets. We shouldn’t have to go for up to five and a half hours before we can use toilet facilities. We just want to travel in comfort.’
Owen Williams, fellow Travel London driver, added: ‘A lot of routes don’t have any facilities at all at the end of them. You could be on a Sunday duty or late at night and there’s nowhere you can go to get relief. We came here today to make our point.’
Paul Brown, Twickenham Garage TGWU convenor, said: ‘This is the start of the London bus campaign, which is building towards next year to demand one rate of pay, and terms and conditions for London bus drivers. Today is about the lack of toilet facilities, which have been promised by Transport for London. Our members are demanding action. We will take action if nothing is done.’
Lamont Jackson, a shop steward from Cricklewood Metroline, said: ‘I’m here to support the bus workers campaign for toilets and other issues. They want us to ride up and down the road with no toilet facilities at either end. They are more worried about the time the bus is running, they don’t care about the bus drivers – whether he wets himself or whatever.
‘Transport for London wants to employ more women. If the facilities for men are bad, it’s even worse for women. If people have to hold their water it can bring about bad medical conditions, even cancer, in the long run. If we don’t start now, we’ll never get anywhere.’
Lloyd Frater, TGWU rep at Beddington, Croydon, for Travel London, said: ‘My members feel that in the 21st century we shouldn’t have to stand out here protesting for toilet facilities. These should automatically be provided for bus drivers and bus station staff.
‘We are prepared to strike over this, it’s gone on too long. Ever since I can remember we’ve been promised facilities. But a lot of the councils are not giving permission for toilets to be built. So we’ve got a double whammy. We’re here protesting against Transport for London, as it’s their responsibility to provide toilets, but some councils won’t give planning permission.
TGWU Organiser Peter Kavanagh told the lobby: ‘Once we have addressed the issue of respect, we will move on. Bus drivers deserve better wages, better conditions and pensions. That means getting rid of the tendering system that puts one company against another. We keep this city on the move. We need proper housing, proper facilities and proper toilets.’
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone told London bus workers he supports their campaign for better toilet facilities for the capital’s bus drivers. In a letter to the protesting drivers Mayor Livingstone said he has told Transport for London to solve the problem as soon as possible, and has allocated funds to enable it to do so.
