SEATTLE — Seattle-area transit officials are making clear that when bus drivers gotta go, they’re free to stop.
The state Department of Labor and Industries cited King County Metro this week for failing to provide bus drivers with unrestricted access to restrooms.
In a written statement Friday, Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond reiterated that bus drivers have the right to stop to use a restroom when they need to.
Desmond said Metro has a network of about 280 bathrooms drivers can use along the county’s approximately 200 bus routes. Most are inside businesses. The agency is looking into adding restrooms to that network.
Metro previously reduced driver break times to cut costs. Desmond said that leaves drivers sometimes feeling like they have to choose between taking a break and sticking to their schedule. But this month voters approved additional funding for bus service in Seattle, which he says should help ensure drivers get the breaks they need.
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