PEOPLE who spent a penny in Barnsley Interchange have contributed more than £175,000 to the transport hub across the last five years.
Income from the toilet turnstiles on Barnsley’s rail platforms and in the bus station has generated an average of £35,076 per year since 2014 – higher than that of Sheffield and Rotherham Interchanges – with the money reinvested into the interchange, according to data supplied following a Freedom of Information request sent to South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE).
However, when pressed, a spokesman for the transport body could not give a full breakdown on where the money – totalling £175,383.20 from 2014 to 2019 – has been spent, only citing site maintenance and other improvements such as body cameras for staff.
“Income generated by the use of toilet facilities at South Yorkshire Passenger Travel Executive (SYPTE) interchanges – including Barnsley interchange – is used to support the provision of toilets and other facilities at interchanges and park and ride sites across South Yorkshire,” said the spokesman.
“This includes paying for maintenance of all sites as well as developments like the introduction of body cameras used by Barnsley Interchange staff.”
The revenue collected is slightly more than Sheffield’s total of £171,001 – although that facility is larger, with 30 stands to Barnsley’s 21 – and significantly higher than the similarly-sized Rotherham, which collected £142,365.82 across the same period.
