Sir Sadiq has recently promised more support to help bus drivers cope in the extreme hot weather but many want their ‘Bill of Rights’ agreed to truly improve working conditions
Bus drivers claim ‘dangerous’ shift patterns working in “sweltering” cabs where temperatures can reach 40C is putting lives at risk. MyLondon has spoken to several drivers on London bus routes across the capital who believe they are being failed by Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL).
After years of arguing they are not being listened to by transport bosses, bus drivers have grouped together to propose a ‘Bill of Rights’ to address a range of issues, including faulty air-conditioning, short periods of rest between shifts and protection from anti-social behaviour.
John, who operates a route in South London, claims nothing substantial has been done to improve conditions since he became a bus driver more than 10 years ago. “We’ve been asking for air con, it’s such a simple thing,” he told MyLondon. “In 2026, it should be a standard thing on every single bus. This is a complete failure from TfL.
“When it gets to 40C inside those cabs you start to sweat and sweat comes into your eyes. You’re not focusing on driving, you’re just focusing on trying to remain well. This puts you in danger, along with your passengers and anyone around the bus.”
The latest Unite the union figures state an audit found one in six London buses had faulty air conditioning, but many drivers believe that from their own experience the true figure is substantially higher.
John described his bus ‘turning into a greenhouse’ during the heatwave in late June, and that while some buses with ‘air-cooling’ systems are classed as air-conditioned by TfL, they are only blowing in warm air from the street outside.
He added: “It might only be five degrees cooler inside the cab than outside. So this could make it 35C inside if outside temperatures are 40C. This is crazy. It makes you tired and increases your level of stress because you’re sweating like you’re in a sauna.
“So when a customer comes with an issue or complaint, instead of dealing with it how you normally would in a nice way, your words might not be the most polite and you might even react in a completely different way. And this could trigger a response from a passenger which makes things escalate even more.”
‘My colleague had to take eight months off work after being attacked with a hammer’
Another bus driver told MyLondon he frequently gets worried when waking up for a shift due to the threat of being attacked by a passenger at any moment. His friend, who drives the 149 bus, was forced to take eight months off work after a fare evader attacked him with a hammer in Tottenham.
Dylan Carroll, who set up London Bus Forums in 2023 to push for better working conditions, believes there is a general lack of respect for drivers which is empowered by TfL and bus operators not doing enough to protect them.
“When he challenged that individual for not paying the fare, he took out a hammer from a toolbox that he was carrying and started smashing into the driver’s cab area,” Dylan said.
“He then managed to get inside and rip open the door, and seriously assaulted my friend with the hammer. He had to take seven or eight months off work, and was hospitalised for around four weeks.
“He was traumatised by it, and had to take so much time off work because he couldn’t sleep. That person should not have been able to get in the cab, and the security wasn’t good enough.
“We see this a lot as drivers, yesterday I took out a bus and realised the main lock on the door was completely missing. I now have to wrap the handle of my rucksack around the door and wedge it with the chair, almost like a seat belt, to keep the door closed.
“This would give me an extra few more seconds if someone broke in.”
Earlier this month all 21 assembly members present at City Hall backed a motion which called on the Mayor of London and TfL to formally recognise and support the bus driver ‘Bill of Rights’.
During the heatwave in late June Sir Sadiq promised more support for drivers to help them cope with the extreme hot weather. He said that anyone operating a bus where air cooling or conditioning systems are not working can stop driving and contact their controller with no risk of penalties.
While bus drivers welcome this step, many believe a truly noticeable upgrade in working conditions will only be guaranteed if the ‘Bill of Rights’ gets formal backing. MyLondon has seen internal messages sent from executives at one London bus company accusing drivers of taking coordinated rest breaks on hot days to disrupt the service.
The message added that individuals “deliberately” stopping their buses in protest to working in heatwave conditions will face “appropriate action” in line with conduct procedures.
Mr Carroll claims these messages are an example of blatant profiteering from London bus companies who have eroded their working conditions in a pursuit for the fastest, cheapest service which makes as much money as possible.
“They make it out like drivers are taking the piss by taking a rest break at the same time to clog up a route, when really it’s the hot time of the day when you probably want to take that break because you feel you’re unsafe on the road,” he said.
“I’ve spoken to some colleagues who have crashed because they fell asleep or passed out from being heat-stressed.
“I think they could be looking at the safety side of things and the welfare of their drivers better, but they’re not doing so. These executives are sitting in air-conditioned offices all day, they don’t know what the reality is like.”
Responding to MyLondon, Sir Sadiq said: “Any bus driver that feels their bus is too hot, that is oppressive – they shouldn’t be driving their buses and they will not be penalised for doing so.
“We’ve also said to the private bus companies that when it comes to the bus performance contracts, they’ve been suspended [in these cases] – so you won’t be penalised if your bus is delayed because the bus driver needs to take action to keep their bus safe, their passengers safe as well.
“We’ve also stopped using the dodgy buses brought by the previous Mayor, where the windows couldn’t open and the air conditioning didn’t work. In every bus in both decks, there should be air coolants that are working. If they’re not, those buses shouldn’t be used.”
Lorna Murphy, TfL’s director of buses, said the organisation takes the welfare of drivers seriously and required operators to meet its high standards.
She added: “We are working together on a range of measures to further improve working conditions, health and wellbeing. We are committed to ensuring that all staff have a fair work schedule, with safe vehicles and access to the facilities they need to carry out their roles effectively. We regularly engage with Unite the Union on these matters.
“We would like to reassure colleagues again that any reports from drivers are always fully investigated, and our operators should never take action against people raising concerns about welfare. We value all feedback from the thousands of people who work tirelessly to keep London’s bus network moving and would encourage anyone experiencing issues to raise these with their employer, their union or the Confidential Incident Reporting & Analysis Service anonymously.”
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