When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go: Public Transport Operators’ Deficient Access to Toilet in the United States
As with other street-based workers, public transport operators in the United States (US) face a great deal of personal hygiene uncertainty while on the job. There is a general lack of public toilets in the cities with only a few public transport facilities equipped with toilets. Even where restrooms are available, sanitary and safety concerns, schedule pressures and traffic, vague and unrealistic procedures for securing and leaving vehicles tend to undermine operators’ access. Concerns about embarrassment or negative passenger reaction and fear of disciplinary actions also tend to discourage public transport operators from using restrooms. As a result, many operators are forced to reduce fluid and food intake and avoid taking urination-affecting medications for fear of conflicting their work schedules with their excretory needs. Others have developed “systems” to “hold it in”. In unbearable circumstances, however, they release themselves into cups/bottles/piles of newspapers and diapers while others do it in bushes/gutters/tunnels and on train tracks, and bus tires. Much has been written about the litany of personal harms (including the urinary tract and kidney infections) linked to public transport operators’ deficient access to toilet. Much less, however, is known about the problem’s impact on sustainable public transport including its undermining effects on safe and pleasant public transport experience, recruiting and retaining qualified operators, and efficient scheduling and reliability of public transport systems. This paper fills this gap in US toilet and transportation research, and aims to stimulate a social mental shift to demand and support prioritizing access to more safe and clean toilets in transportation and urban planning.
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP010 Standing Committee on Transit Management and Performance.
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Corporate Authors:
Transportation Research Board
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Authors:
- Boateng, Festival Godwin
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Conference:
- Transportation Research Board 102nd Annual Meeting
- Location: Washington DC, United States
- Date: 2023-1-8 to 2023-1-12
- Date: 2023
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Appendices; References;
- Pagination: 17p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bus drivers; Health; Toilet facilities; Transit personnel
- Geographic Terms: United States
- Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01874526
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: TRBAM-23-00193
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Feb 24 2023 9:05AM