Oulu bus drivers shun foul-smelling terminal toilets

Toilets provided for bus drivers in Oulu are so dirty and foul-smelling that many drivers avoid using them, Yle reports. The facilities have broken locks, ingrained dirt and a strong smell of urine.

The toilet cabins were installed less than two years ago after a long wait. Yle inspected three of them with bus driver Joni Kärsämä.

At the Metsonkulma terminal, the smell was so strong that it was impossible to go inside, even though the toilet appeared clean at first glance. Kärsämä compared it to a festival portable toilet that had not been emptied for two weeks.

At the Kaijonharju terminal, urine had built up around the edges of the toilet seat. The door could not be closed or locked, and the toilet also smelled of urine. One driver who arrived at the terminal went past the toilet and into a nearby wooded area instead.

At the third location, Jylkynkangas, the door lock had been broken and removed completely. The door could not be closed or locked, there was no water from the tap and the hand soap had run out.

Kärsämä said the toilets had initially worked well, but locks had gradually been broken and keys lost. He said the smell was the biggest problem because it could cling to drivers’ work clothes and affect their work in front of passengers.

Cleaning schedule set by contract

Oulu-based company Hauru is responsible for maintaining the toilet cabins. Chief executive Mikko Hauru said the company follows its contract with the City of Oulu. The toilets are emptied and cleaned once a week in summer and once every two weeks in winter.

Hauru said users also had a responsibility to use the toilets properly. He added that the company could increase the service to twice a day if the city or transport operators wanted a higher service level.

Hauru said vandalism was unfortunate but that all damaged toilets had been repaired and would continue to be repaired.

Helena Väliaho, public transport manager at Oulu Regional Transport, said the toilets had caused almost more problems than benefits. The organisation’s planners will inspect whether the cleaning is adequate.

The toilets are located at the terminal stops of three transport operators. Two operators have been satisfied with the situation. Oulu Regional Transport has asked Hauru to attend a meeting with the operators to discuss the cleaning of the facilities.