BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
The public toilets at Enniskillen bus depot, according to one user, present such a bad image when it comes to public hygiene that a visitor to Fermanagh would be inclined to get the first bus out of town.
Keith Johnston, who is a school caretaker/cleaner, had the, 'Oh God, I can't believe this' when he went to use the toilets last Thursday morning. To begin with, there was no proper lock on the cubicle door and he had to wash down the toilet seat beforehand.
After complaining to a senior member of staff and the Environmental Health Department of Fermanagh District Council, he rang the 'Herald' to let off steam: "I was with the Water service for 20 years, so I know what personal hygiene is like and what bacteria is about. We have tourists coming in, and we're trying to promote more of them to come to the Forum and the like, but let them step into the toilets and they'll think: 'My God, if this is what Fermanagh is like, let's get the first bus out of here".
Mr Johnston stressed that he wasn't trying to get anyone into bother, but if Translink staff were hands-tied, then he hoped his complaint would help their situation.
The 'Herald' staff, male and female, visited both sets of toilets, and found a 'grubby atmosphere with evidence of misuse and vandalism, something which a spokesman for Translink identified as a problem generally within the bus depot.
In the men's toilets, for instance, neither of the two cubicle doors could be locked. In fact, the sliding bar and keep were missing from one. Both toilet bowls had been left unflushed and, in one, there was excrement sticking to the inside, and both seats glistened with wetness.
In the female toilet, one toilet seat was missing and one bowl was dirty.
The Translink spokesman, speaking to the Herald on the day of Mr Johnston's complaint, said recruitment issues were being addressed with a view to appointing two cleaners shortly.
"We take customer feed-back very seriously, and any issues to do with cleanliness will be addressed. A lot of people who use our toilets are not bus passengers. In fact, the bus depot is a popular gathering place for those with no interest in using our services. They often indulge in anti-social behaviour and are responsible, we believe, for acts of vandalism to our property.
"For instance, the missing latches was not carried out by our own staff or our bus users. The one weak spot we have is our generous opening hours and easy access. As I said, the depot does attract those with an anti-social attitude, but we're planning to do something to reduce that. On the hygiene side, that too will be addressed".
