Concerns over Sudbury Bus Station toilets raised by Chambers bus driver who found them locked or unusable on several locations

A bus driver has called for change after finding the toilets at a Suffolk town bus station locked on several occasions, leaving her without access to facilities.

Dawn Carter, 35 of Great Cornard, drives Chambers buses Monday to Friday and said she often finds the bus station toilets in Sudbury town centre to be unusable or closed due to vandalism or utility works.

The mum-of-three said this has caused her many issues, with her strict timetable meaning she is unable to use the toilet in the town when she needs to.

“It’s all well and good going elsewhere for a toilet break but when we have the traffic situation that we do now, unforgiving road conditions that make it already hard for us to run on time and passengers needing to get from A to B, we don’t have the luxury of time to go elsewhere,” she said.

“The male bus drivers are at an advantage because if they are that desperate they can use a bottle. It is not in anyway dignified, but it is a means to an end.

“As a woman I don’t have that ability so I am having to regulate my fluid intake, in a job that needs me at peak mental fitness. Something as toileting facilities is a basic right for a workplace,” she added.

Ms Carter said Chambers bus company cannot be held accountable for the lack of toilets, and instead she is looking to the council, who maintain the facilities, to improve them.

She also fears other people living in or visiting the town who may need to use the toilet will be struggling when it is closed or unusable.

“If I am struggling, there are going to be vulnerable people out there in just as much of a predicament,” she said

“Twice this week already I have gone to use them to find them locked, resulting in having to wait until I get to Colchester or my next destination.

“This isn’t healthy on the grounds of holding in creates a high risk of infection. Even more so when I am on my monthlies and have nowhere to change my sanitary products. This then creates high risk for Toxic Shock Syndrome,” she added.

A Babergh District Council spokesman said: “All our public toilets, including those on Hamilton Road are cleaned, maintained and monitored on a daily basis. Unfortunately, during a routine clean at this location we quickly identified a leak.

“This meant we had to close the toilets at short notice to enable us to carry out necessary repairs, so we can safely reopen them as quickly as possible.

“We appreciate the frustration this sort of closure can cause and apologise for any inconvenience. We also recognise our toilets are now of a certain age, and are sadly often a target for vandalism, and we continue to look at longer term upgrades collaboratively as part of our Sudbury Vision work and the wider regeneration of the town centre.”