CTtransit Drivers Renew Their Plea For A Place To Pee
CTtransit bus drivers were back outside the Gold Building on Main Street, Hartford, Friday to demonstrate and renew their call for CTtransit management to provide restrooms for transit bus drivers. On Friday, the union that represents drivers released the results of a survey of drivers about restroom access, and called on CTtransit to address the issue.
Drivers chanted “We need to pee” and “When you gotta go, you gotta go” as they walked in front of the Gold Building, which sits on a section of Main Street at a transit hub where many buses stop.
Artan Martinaj, the business agent for Local 425, said drivers used to be able to take restroom breaks at the Gold Building, inside Travelers Insurance or at a CVS that used to be at Main and Central Row. The CVS has moved and security at Travelers and the Gold Building no longer let drivers use the restrooms, Martinaj said.
Lots of businesses that have restrooms require people to make a purchase to use them, Martinaj and Buccitti said. A driver seen stopping a bus and getting a cup of coffee just to use a restroom can get in trouble, Buccitti said.
According to the survey:
60 percent of drivers said they have no clean or accessible restrooms along or at the end of their routes.
80 percent of drivers say there is not enough time built into their schedules for restroom breaks.
68 percent said they avoid eating or drinking so they don’t have a problem.
30 percent of drivers say they use trees, bushes or cups to relieve themselves.
26 percent of drivers say they’ve soiled themselves on duty because of lack of restroom access.
37 percent say they have suffered urinary tract or bladder infections.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-bus-drivers-bathrooms-20181019-story.html