Toilets on Coaches

[extendedpaul]

A few weeks ago i travelled on a 90 minute delayed National Express coach from Victoria towards Dover. The driver apologised for the delay but also for the toilet being full and automatically locked out of service. He added that the situation creates a warning sound which he could not stop. There was indeed a near-constant irritating loud bleeping in the driver's cab throughout the journey. I was surprised there was no apparent override - it would have been almost unbearable on an overnight journey.

I assume a decision was taken at Victoria not to empty the toilet and add to the delay.

Last week I travelled northbound on Flixbus in a 23 plate vehicle. Just after Leicester a lady came up to the driver and told him the toilet had been locked for a while but was apparently unoccupied, he said that must mean it was full and he would make a comfort break at the next (Meadowhall) stop where I alighted. I returned on the same coach and the toilet was still out of action so we were held for a comfort break again. Fortunately no bleeping sound this time but no further comfort break on the near four hours journey back to London.

I wasn't personally uncomfortable and I'd rather a coach run toiletless than be further delayed or cancelled but wonder what the procedure should be when a coach loses its toilet facility ? If a passenger tells the driver they urgently need the toilet should a stop be made at the earliest opportunity ? And is it the case that in an emergency the driver can't even unlock the door if "computer says toilet full ? "

Would add that both drivers couldn't have been more apologetic.

 

[RJ]

Even us bus drivers understand what it feels like to need the toilet. If a passenger needs to go enough to get up and ask then you stop where practical if the next scheduled stop isn’t for a while.

 

[Flying Snail]

I drove mostly toiletless coaches for years, on our longer routes (over 3 hours) we had scheduled stops at bus stations, service stations or other contracted places with toilets but on some routes without breaks it was a case that if someone needed a toilet break I would go to a petrol station or other place where there was some facilities.

A big no to the idea of just letting people use the toilet even if the tank is full, a brown river in the aisle is in nobody's best interests. The inability of an overflow to run into the saloon is the main reason I prefer the sunken toilet design.

 

[Shotton]

Even us bus drivers understand what it feels like to need the toilet. If a passenger needs to go enough to get up and ask then you stop where practical if the next scheduled stop isn’t for a while.

Would concur with this. Even on service distance (longer buses, T2 and T3) I have had to ask the driver a couple of times if they would wait so I could use the toilet, and they have (thankfully, much appreciated as I would otherwise have needed to wait for the next bus).

For a coach especially, but even longer distance buses, it would be better if they could all be fitted with reliable toilets. I'm not sure how common of an occurrence toilet failure is on coaches, but it seems rare on rail. If it is more common, then maybe they should look for an alternative design, since for longer journeys there really should always be toilet access. Some people may not even be able to wait for "comfort stops" etc (eg elderly, those with condition).

If a toilet does fail, then imo it is nice if drivers apologise on behalf of the company, but they should also have means to offer to rebook passengers on to a later coach with a working toilet if desired/required.

 

[Mwanesh]

If a toilet is full normally you let the passengers know and then the stops along the way.It makes it easy than waiting for a replacement coach.