Transport department refuses to install toilets at new road train facility, saying it was never designed to be a rest stop
Truck drivers say the are battling a s**ty situation that means they are forced to hold on, stop off at a petrol station or risk fines urinating in public at a new road train facility that doesn’t have toilets.
Gatton
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A man pushing for toilets at Gatton’s new road train facility can be seen sitting on his throne reading the paper while waiting for commuters to sign a petition.
Truck drivers are having to hold on or pull into petrol stations to use a toilet after the new Gatton road train facility was opened without any rest rooms.
It’s made truck drivers “s**ty” they will be fined if caught urinating at the Gatton Heavy Vehicle Decoupling facility that they’ve set up a petition to get toilets on site.
Leading the push is Wesley Walker, the man on the throne who has truck driver mates busting for toilets at the Gatton facility.
Mr Walker said not only were toilets a necessity, but also a place for drivers to wash their hands.
“You’ve got grain carters coming in and disconnecting hydraulic hoses – God forbid if they get something on their faces. Where are they going to wash their hands?” he said.
“If this was a private facility it would have never been allowed to open without toilets.”
Mr Walker claims he was told by government officials that if any drivers were caught urinating at the facility on CCTV footage they would be fined.
“It’s 2021, lets give these people a bit of dignity – they are the most important people in Australia.”
Despite a strong petition, which Mr Walker said attracts about 200 signatures a day, the transport department has refused to install toilets.
“We will not be installing toilets at the site in the future,” a spokesman said in a statement to the Gatton Star.
The spokesman said the decoupling facility was not a rest area and therefore “does not have a toilet or shade shelters”.
“We are actively discouraging the use of GHVFD as a rest area as it is not suitable due to surrounding land uses,” the spokesman said.
“The decision to omit toilets from the facility was due to the University of Queensland objecting to the biosecurity risk of human waste or litter being left behind at the site, which may impact their agricultural research programs.”
According to TMR, truck drivers can use nearby rest areas that provide toilet facilities for east and westbound traffic.
Eastbound traffic can use the nearby BP petrol station and west bound traffic can use the Gatton Bypass Rest Area, which has a toilet, sheltered picnic tables and rubbish bins.
The TMR spokesman said the department was investigating installing additional signs at the decoupling facility to advise drivers of nearby toilet locations.
Anyone wanting to help truck drivers and their quest to get toilets can stop by the facility and sign the petition.
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