Much to the relief of TheBus riders, the restrooms at the Alapai Transit Center will be open to the public daily starting at 5 a.m. Saturday.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell made the announcement on Friday. “Though cleaning, maintenance and security will not be free, this is the kind of service a city should provide,” he said.

Both the men’s and women’s restrooms, which have two stalls each, were previously reserved for bus drivers. Located on the Diamond Head end of the ground level next to the cavernous driveway reserved for city buses, security guards will open them at 5 a.m. and lock them at 11 p.m. daily, the city said.

When the $19 million transit facility opened in May, the restrooms were made available only to bus drivers. The city estimates 200 buses and 2,000 passengers use the transit center daily.