Female bus drivers in western Sydney have dedicated toilets for the first time as the NSW Government begins an $18 million program to improve rest facilities for drivers across the city.
The upgrades follow recommendations from Labor’s Bus Industry Taskforce, which heard accounts of drivers resorting to buckets or sharing a single portaloo at Parramatta for years. Until recently, drivers at the busy Darcy Street interchange had only one male and one unisex toilet, and a cramped meal room that failed to meet demand.
The new $500,000 facility at Parramatta includes expanded meal areas and separate bathrooms for men and women at the Darcy and Argyle Street layovers. A nearby shop on Charles Street has been converted into another meal room with proper toilet facilities, replacing the temporary roadside portaloos that had served hundreds of drivers for more than a decade.
Similar improvements have already been delivered at Rockdale, Cabramatta, Fairfield, Liverpool, Wynyard and Hornsby. Further upgrades are planned for Bondi Junction, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Gordon, Chatswood, Edgecliff, Circular Quay, Penrith, Riverstone, Edmondson Park, Leppington, Macarthur and Campbelltown.
Transport Minister John Graham said the investment recognises the essential role of bus drivers and aims to improve basic conditions that have long been overlooked. He said that after years of inadequate facilities, the government wanted to provide clean, safe spaces for drivers to rest and recharge.
Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Marjorie O’Neill, who convened the Bus Industry Taskforce, said the lack of proper amenities was one of the clearest issues raised in consultations. She welcomed the progress, saying drivers who had endured temporary facilities for too long would now have a more comfortable place to take a break.
Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said the new facilities show respect for those who keep the city moving every day. She said supporting driver wellbeing not only improves working conditions but also strengthens the overall reliability of Sydney’s bus network.
The government’s program aims to ensure every interchange across the network offers basic facilities that reflect the importance of the people behind the wheel.
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