Thiès bus station: workers demand toilets after a large-scale cleaning operation

In the lead-up to the Grand Magal of Touba, the Workers' Association of the Thiès region organized a major cleanup day this Saturday at the Thiès bus station, commonly known as "Garage Dakar." This citizen initiative aimed to clean up this strategic location, which welcomes thousands of travelers daily and whose numbers will increase considerably as the Magal approaches.

The activity took place in the presence of administrative and local authorities, hygiene services, firefighters as well as defense and security forces, who came to support this public health action.

To provide a healthier environment for users

Abdoulaye Dieng, President of the Association of Workers of the Thiès region, explained that this operation responds to an urgent need to improve hygiene conditions within the bus station.

“We initiated this cleanup day to provide the bus station with a better living environment. It is a place that welcomes a huge number of people every day. It is therefore essential that it be clean and comply with health and hygiene standards,” he said.

Beyond the cleaning, he drew the authorities' attention to the lack of public toilets within the station. According to him, this situation forces many users to urinate under vehicles or behind food stalls, thus contributing to environmental degradation and the spread of diseases related to unsanitary conditions.

He advocated for the construction of modern toilets to put an end to this practice and to sustainably improve sanitary conditions.

A call for civic duty and patriotism

Abdoulaye Dieng also appealed to drivers, mechanics, traders and travelers to act responsibly by avoiding littering or urinating in areas frequented by people.

Taking advantage of this platform, he reiterated his request for a site to be allocated for the relocation of train mechanics. He argued that this measure would put an end to the chaotic occupation of public roads and improve traffic flow around the station.

Station officials are also demanding toilets

The head of the Thiès bus station, Pape Diop, echoed this sentiment, stressing the need to equip the station with public toilets, considering it a priority need for the thousands of users who pass through this infrastructure every day.

The authorities welcome the initiative

Presiding over the launch of this citizen day, the deputy governor of the Thiès region, Ababacar Sadikh Niang, praised the commitment of the Workers' Association and encouraged the multiplication of such initiatives in favor of a healthy environment.

He urged citizens to make cleanliness a daily habit in order to preserve hygiene, public health and the living environment.

Addressing station officials, he urged them to strengthen awareness campaigns among users.

Regarding the demands made by the workers and drivers, including the construction of toilets and the relocation of mechanics, the deputy governor assured that they would be examined with all due attention and pledged to work towards finding solutions.

Finally, he reminded everyone that cleanliness is a collective responsibility.

"Drivers should not wait for others to come and clean their station. Cleaning is a good thing, but not littering is even better," he insisted, before inviting users to systematically deposit their waste in the garbage bins installed on the site.

Just days before the Grand Magal of Touba, this cleaning operation appears as a strong signal in favor of a cleaner, more welcoming bus station that respects hygiene rules, for the benefit of the thousands of pilgrims and travelers expected.