‘REOPEN THESE TOILETS NOW!’
Bus station WCS shut during virus lockdown
PASSENGERS are demanding to know when the public toilets will fully reopen at Stoke-on-trent’s main bus station.
They have signed a petition after seeing both the men’s and women’s toilets remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
It means only the disabled loo is currently open at Hanley Bus Station.
But traders have complained about people urinating and defecating in a city centre alleyway during lockdown – and one man was arrested after being caught having a poo in Meadow Lane.
Petition organiser James Hope said: “Hanley Bus Station is away from the centre of Hanley where other public toilets are open, yet the bus station toilets remain closed.
“Many other local authorities have reopened their public toilets but yet ours in Stoke-on-trent remain closed. We need these to be reopened now.
“The Government has stated clear guidelines on how to open public facilities, such as public toilets, and these could easily be implemented at Hanley Bus Station.”
Bus passenger David Crombie, left, aged 77, of Abbey Hulton, added: “We were told these toilets would be open in September. The other toilets are nowhere near this one because you have to go to the indoor market.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous they’re still closed.” Stoke-on-trent City Council has attached a notice to the bus station public conveniences.
It states: “At present, toilet facilities are limited to the use of the disabled cubicles only.
“It is our intention for these to be available between 9.30am and 5pm Monday to Saturday, although there may be short periods during these times when additional cleaning is required.
“Please bear with us during these necessary restrictions. Thank you for your co-operation.”
The petition will be considered by the council at a meeting tomorrow.
Council leader Abi Brown said:
“Due to staff resources, we currently only have the disabled toilet open.
“We’re trying really, really hard to try to maintain the standards of cleanliness that you would expect, particularly at this moment in time.
“And that means we are not able to have all the toilets open because we’re having to have a higher rate of cleaning than we would normally have.
“We’ve got one cleaner who is on site outside the toilet doors to ensure that the toilet is thoroughly cleaned after each use.”