Washroom Facilities For Women On Indian Highways

The Bane of Road Trips for women travellers.

The availability of hygienic washrooms is a genuine concern for women travelling on the road.

It’s easier for men; find relatively secluded areas and relieve themselves. Women, on the other hand either need a decent washroom or have to crouch in the nearby bushes and risk insect-bites or bruises from the bushes.

Not to mention the very real fear of someone walking by. The struggle is real.

That’s the bad news for women on a road trip.

The good news is things are changing for the better.

I have been travelling by road for a better part of a couple of decades and have definitely seen an increase in the number of washrooms on the road.

So it’s not all doom and gloom.

Washrooms on National Highways/Expressways

Most restaurants on National Highways and Expressways have washroom facility, and surprisingly, they are usually decent. I was impressed to find a few of these washrooms having branded luxury fittings (Jaquar, if I remember correctly).

On one of my drives through Rajasthan, my mom excitedly called me from a dhaba washroom to tell me she had found the perfect bathroom tiles for her house (which was undergoing renovation at that time)! And yes, she clicked photos of the tiles and sent it to her contractor.

Not sure if she did get those tiles though.

Those kinds of washrooms, however, are few and far between.

I believe there are a few public restrooms on the highway as well. I have not used those yet, so cannot really comment on them. Some cities (I can vouch for Delhi, Noida) now have pink toilets which are bright pink in colour and are exclusively for women. I have not noticed these on highways though.

Amongst the roads that I have travelled on (Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar pradesh, Goa) Madhya Pradesh seemed to be the worst in terms of decent highway washroom options. The best bet here were the Midway Restaurants.

Read about my MP roadtrip

Washrooms on State Highways/District Roads/Rural Roads

Unfortunately as things stand right now, the washroom options on non – national highway roads are limited. This includes a lack of both, restaurants with washrooms and standalone washrooms.

If you are aware of your route well in advance, I suggest taking a pit-stop before turning off the national highway.

Also, I suggest not waiting till the 11th hour to start searching for a washroom on these roads.

India is a vast country and you will come across kms of deserted farming land on these roads. You may have to travel for around 20 kms without sighting any possible washrooms.

Or at times even people.

Maybe the bushes work the best at such times because “when you gotta go, you gotta go” which is what my mom and I had to rely on during our Gujarat road trip.

The issue further exacerbates if you are travelling in hilly regions. The number of washrooms/km in the hills is probably the same as that in the plains but since you will take more time to cover the same distance in the hills, you will take more time to get to them.

Again, it might be down to the bushes to act as a saviour here as well.

If you are travelling in cold deserts e.g. Ladakh or Spiti or the likes; my advice would be to keep a shawl or a sarong handy as it may not be easy to find washrooms nor bushes there.

Types of Toilets

Very rarely will you find unisex washrooms. Till date I have come across only one such washroom which

was at a petrol pump.

Most highway restaurants have separate washrooms for men and women. The washrooms usually have two types of toilet cubicles:

Indian Toilet

This refers to the kind of toilets consisting of a toilet bowl at a floor level where you need to squat in order to use it.

In terms of hygiene, I definitely prefer these while using a public washroom as there is no direct contact with the toilet seat. These are also easier to maintain and that is why these are usually much cleaner than the western ones.

These toilets however may be an issue for people with arthritis, any other knee/hip issue or the elderly. Avoid these toilets if they are putting undue stress on your joints.

Western Toilet

This refers to the sitting toilets where you need to sit on the toilet seat in order to use it.

I used to be very wary of using these for the fear of infections and would try to avoid them at all costs. In case I did not have an option, I used to spray pee safe (Buy it here), then hover (half squat) around the seat but would not touch it at any cost.

It is an issue and some women, like Jennifer Lopez have found the solution to this by carrying their own custom made toilet seat. An inconvenient option for regular people like me who don’t have our ‘backsides’ insured for a whopping amount!

There is a more convenient option though.

Recently I started using the Pee funnel device which lets you pee while standing.

Simply take it out from your purse when needed – use it – wash it with water and soap – dry it and put it back in your purse.

It is made of silicone, is reusable and works quite well for Western toilets as you can stand and relieve yourself very easily.

The device is small, foldable and lightweight and easily fits in your purse. Disposable versions of the pee funnel are also available.

In my experience these are very convenient as at times the Indian toilet cubicle may not be as clean as the Western toilet one.

Having the pee funnel gives you the choice to use the cleaner toilet.

This usually works for me. However; if you are more concerned about hygiene, another product which is quite popular with travellers is the Pee safe which is a toilet seat sanitizer spray.

Also, check out some amazingly useful roadtrip products on amazon:

car freshener, Car charger, Car charging cable, Car air pump , Car tissue holder, Car vacuum cleaner, Car door edge cover guard

What To Expect From ‘Decent Washrooms’?

Most of the decent washrooms are ‘borderline clean’, a little cramped, with option of squat toilets and running water supply (certainly not a given!). You may also have a few flies for company.

And no, in case you were wondering – availability of toilet paper will be very rare, even in the best of these washrooms. If you are from India, you already know that.

I make it a point to carry my sanitiser, some tissues/toilet paper and a small pocket-knife / pepper spray (always be prepared) to these washrooms.

Washrooms have many high-contact surfaces e.g: door handles, sinks, taps, soap dispenser, counter-tops to name a few. Some of these cannot be avoided and hence it is advisable to sanitise your hands after leaving the washroom.

Even if you are not travelling during the times of a pandemic (and the pandemic was a definite eye-opener in more ways than one), it is advisable to wear masks. The masks can double up to block the foul toilet odour (if any) too.

What To Do In Case Of Emergencies?

By emergency I mean if you really need to go but cannot find any washroom or a decent isolated bush.

I recently started carrying Peechute. It is a disposable urinal bag wherein the urine instantly solidifies making it leak proof and is also odourless.

An extremely hygienic alternative when access to washroom is an issue.

This is especially helpful in the hills when you may be stuck in long traffic jams which makes it difficult to either use a washroom or park the vehicle and head towards the now, not-so-private bushes. I have personally had to use this when I was stuck in a long (one hour plus) traffic jam outside Nainital as the entry into the city was temporarily restricted. Since the car wasn’t moving at all and we were surrounded by cars on the narrow road, it was the peechute to my bladder’s rescue.

This is also useful if you are on a solo trip and are not comfortable going into the bushes with no one looking out for you.

Also read: Safety tips for women on roadtrips

Road travel during ‘those’ days

Should you be travelling during your periods?

I don’t see any reason why not!

Initially, I used to try and plan my travels around those dates. A very tiring and cumbersome process it was. Soon, I realised that with some preparation, it was entirely manageable.

And this is true for any travel, not just by road.

There are a few things you need to keep in my mind while travelling on your periods:

Pack an adequate supply of pads/tampons/menstrual cups. During my travels, I usually prefer tampons. If you are comfortable using the menstrual cup, then that is actually the best option as it can last for up to 12 hours.
Wearing a period specific underwear is also a good idea to prevent any accidents.
Carry your medicine. Most women I know prefer to take ‘Metfal spas’. For me, usually a regular painkiller e.g. Crocin works. So do carry whatever works for you.
For disposal, I use Sirona disposal bags. These are discreet and lock the odor very efficiently. Simply put in the used pad/tampon and remove the plastic under the flap to seal the bag and throw it in a dustbin. It is eco friendly and very discreet.
Consider wearing comfortable clothing (read loose clothing) and preferably darker colours

I genuinely believe that nowadays there are so many things in the market to make period days easier to manage for us. So why not take advantage of those.

Tips

Most petrol pumps in India are equipped with washroom facility. These however are not well maintained. Works well when you are in dire need though. This facility is usually restricted to customers and you may need to collect the key for the washroom from the pump office.
Do not wait until that last minute to start looking for washrooms. I usually take a stop every two hours. That frequency works well from rest as well as washroom break point of view. Pick a decent dhaba, even if it means having just one cup of tea at a frequency convenient for you.
Use the restroom at every pit stop. Even if you don’t feel the need to really use it.
Use the search function on your GPS to find the nearest restaurants/petrol pumps.
Unfortunately, hygiene is still a concern for most of the washrooms. Carry your personal hygiene supplies with you and avoid touching too many things.
Most of the fast food/coffee chains have good washrooms which are well maintained. So, look out for the McDonald’s of the world – you will most probably get a ‘happy break’ along with your ‘happy meal”.