Bus Driver Toilet Stinks Outside Home for Seven Months

A man named Brett Kemp is having trouble. He lives in Purley, South London, and a toilet for bus drivers appeared outside his house. He joked that it looks like the TARDIS from Doctor Who.

Brett says his home’s value dropped by £100,000 after the toilet appeared in July 2024. He was returning from vacation when it showed up, and people now call it the “Turdis.” Transport for London (TfL) said they would move it last December, but it still stands there.

The “Turdis” was once in Biggin Hill in 2019, but vandalism led to its quick removal after a month. Now, “Turdis 2.0” bothers Brett a lot. He worries these toilets will pop up everywhere and TfL says this isn’t the exact same toilet, indicating they’re working on finding a more permanent spot.

While Brett hasn’t received a timeline for the move, he said TfL only updates him every Friday. He owns an oven cleaning business and feels like he is losing hope. He can’t believe TfL can’t just move it, stating that it only needs a forklift to move it a short distance.

He’s under immense stress and can’t pay his mortgage anymore. He wants to sell the house but can’t. Brett says life is now hell, and TfL doesn’t seem to care about his situation.

The toilet is ugly, he said, and it smells bad after weekly cleaning. Nothing is improving, says Brett, and he thinks these toilets will appear all over, as they seem to have many in storage.

Brett, who has teenage children, understands drivers need toilets, but not like this. He believes a better spot is needed. He could sell his home but at a loss, having to drop £100,000 off the price.

The buyer would have to accept the smelly toilet, which he doesn’t think is a good solution. Brett says TfL should help the community and consult residents, noting they didn’t consult anyone in Biggin Hill back in 2019, which led to quick removal due to vandalism.

Now Brett wonders why TfL’s so slow. He thinks if such appeared by a leader’s house, it’d be moved. His neighbor also complained, getting the same response. TfL should have moved it in July when complaints started; he’s been trying to reach his TfL contact and waited nine days for a response.

A TfL spokesperson said they’re finalizing the move and will put the toilet in a permanent place, as they need to provide facilities for bus drivers. They have been in contact with Brett, and are updating him. TfL says the delay is regrettable, but they must ensure the location works for everyone.