BUS passengers will no longer need to pay 30p to spend a penny at Fife Council owned stations, including Dunfermline. 

Councillors unanimously agreed to get rid of the charges to use the loos at a meeting last week. 

Lib-Dem leader James Calder said the decision will be a “positive development to make sure people have access to toilets”. 

Maintenance issues were also at the heart of the decision. 

The council was making between £30,000-40,000 per year from the 30p toilet entry fees across the bus stations they own. However, the report explained that maintenance costs have increased - significantly reducing the surplus. 

“The core maintenance of the barrier system is what’s costing us money at the moment,” council officers explained. 

They said the barrier systems are constantly breaking down and needing to be repaired at increasing cost. 

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“Removing the charge to use bus station toilets would help to improve accessibility, provide a more welcoming arrival/departure point, particularly for more vulnerable groups, and minimise maintenance costs and access issues,” the report continued.

“The issue of whether free access would promote anti-social behaviour has been considered and whilst a potential, there are equal instances of where the barrier system itself has promoted conflict issues.” 

Councillor Kathleen Leslie was concerned about those anti-social implications. 

She said that removing the charges at late night bus stations opens up the opportunity for vandalism to become “a kind of free for all”. 

“If there does end up being more vandalism, then there’s going to be an increase in those maintenance costs,” she said. 

However, council officers were confident that removing the charges wouldn’t lead to a significant increase in trouble. 

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“There has been occasions in the past where for several weeks over the year the toilets have been free anyway because the barrier system has been broken,” the officer said. 

“We have looked at whether there has been any increase in vandalism to the toilets at that time and there wasn’t.

"It’s about managing the people who are causing anti-social behaviour in the bus station to make sure they’re not taking advantage of the toilets being free.” 

Following some discussion, councillors unanimously agreed to remove the charges at Fife Council owned bus stations in Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Leven. 

It is understood that St. Andrews bus station, which is owned and maintained by Stagecoach, is currently free of charge..

In addition to the bus stations, the council owned toilets at the park and ride sites at Ferrytoll and Halbeath have always been free to use.