Seattle bus drivers to get more bathroom access

SEATTLE – Seattle-area transit officials are making it clear that when bus drivers gotta go, they are free to stop.

The state Department of Labor and Industries fined King County Metro $3,500 on Wednesday for failing to provide bus drivers with unrestricted access to restrooms. Drivers, men and women alike, told investigators disturbing stories about using coffee cups and bottles to relieve themselves because they felt pressure to stick to their scheduled routes, department spokesman Tim Church said Saturday.

“Some told us there were – I’m looking for the right word here – urine-soaked driver’s seats because they felt they had no other alternative,” Church said.

Drivers have been disciplined for running late because of time spent using or searching for a bathroom, the citation noted.

In a written statement Friday, Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond acknowledged the problem, saying, “We take this basic need seriously,” and promised to fix it.

Metro operates about 200 bus routes in Seattle and around the county, and it has a network of about 280 bathrooms.

Metro reduced break times for drivers a few years ago to cut costs, Desmond noted. Seattle voters this month approved additional money for bus service, and that should help ensure drivers get the break time they need, he said.