Stop penny-pinching over Fort station loos
Age Scotland charity’s appeal to Scotrail bosses
A charity has called on rail bosses to reverse cuts in public toilet provision, saying charging for access at stations, including Fort William, are a significant barrier to travel by older people and those with disabilities.
National charity for older people Age Scotland criticised the rail operators’ cost-cutting measures after it was accused of cutting back on essentials including toilet paper and soap at station toilets.
According to Age Scotland, internal emails this month revealed ScotRail staff have had to resort to ‘begging messages’ to colleagues due to the operator restricting station supply orders. This follows ScotRail’s decision in the summer to charge for toiMinor let access at Glasgow Queen Street, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William stations.
According to ScotRail in August, British Transport Police raised concerns free toilet access could increase anti-social behaviour.
However, the charity says a lack of free, sanitary toilets prevented tens of thousands of older people from travelling, contributing to loneliness and isolation. Its research found more than a third of older people in Scotland would use public transport more often if access to toilets was easier.
Brian Sloan, Age Scotland’s chief executive, wrote to ScotRail expressing concern about toilet charges in August, but the rail operator has not reversed its decision. Mr Sloan said: ‘We are extremely disappointed by ScotRail’s lack of consideration for older passengers and those with medical conditions, who are more likely to need access to toilets while travelling.
‘Now it’s concerning to see that even when toilets are still free, they may not be safe or sanitary due to cost-cutting. This could be a first step to closing these completely.
‘We found a lack of toilets is often a significant barrier to using public transport. This not only makes it harder for them to access everything from shops to medical appointments, but also contributes to loneliness and isolation. With millions of pounds of tax-payer subsidies and sky-high ticket prices, it beggars belief ScotRail cannot afford to buy basics such as soap and paper towels.
‘We would urge ScotRail to reconsider this penny-pinching and provide all passengers with free, hygienic, accessible facilities throughout its network.’
On August 26, in a response to Mr Sloan’s earlier letter, ScotRail’s head of customer operations wrote that removing charges was ‘not a viable option’, although the majority of facilities were free.
He wrote: ‘However, the cost for operating toilets within our stations rises each year, with costs of cleaning supplies and staffing costs rising with inflation. These rising costs have resulted in an increase in charges for the facility.’