Antonia Pugh-Thomas claimed constant fatigue driven by poor treatment and “impossible” shift patterns turned her into a person she no longer recognised
Sitting in her stiflingly hot London bus just moments after screaming at a passenger, Antonia Pugh-Thomas, 56, decided she couldn’t take it anymore.
“I was so hot, tired and angry when I finished the route that I freaked out and screamed at my controller down the phone when he asked me to return without a break,” she told MyLondon, “It was 43C inside my cab. I completely lost control.”
Antonia became a London bus driver in 2024 when her 30-year dressmaking business was forced to close. While initially loving the job, the mum-of-three said the “constant fatigue” caused by regularly working 13 consecutive days and driving buses with faulty air conditioning turned her into a person she no longer recognised.
Describing the exact moment in late June, Antonia said: “[After shouting at the controller] I hung up on him and ignored all of his calls, and told my friend behind that I was going to Sainsbury’s to get a cold drink and something to eat.
“Half an hour later, I came back and told my supervisor on the phone that I’d been really rude to someone and needed to apologise. When I got back, I found the person who was very generous and accepted the apology, but I then said to all the controllers, ‘I can’t go on like this, I’m not a rude person’, so I handed in my notice.”
Antonia believes Sir Sadiq Khan, Transport for London and the bus companies operating in the capital are all at fault for the ‘daily humiliation’ drivers suffer behind the wheel while keeping the city moving. During the record-breaking London summer, which has seen the highest-ever number of days above 30C, the Mayor told LBC that drivers would not be penalised for refusing to drive buses with faulty air-conditioning or air-cooling systems.
Despite this, Antonia claims she was pressured to take the bus out regardless of safety concerns raised in order to keep services on the route running.
Other drivers, who have asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions from their employers, claim that their managers do not take their safety concerns seriously. They also say a ‘culture of fear’ is stopping many from reporting incidents such as falling asleep at the wheel from heat-driven fatigue – needlessly putting lives at risk.
“When you’re taking over a bus on a really hot day you’ll often find the seats are squidgy with the sweat of the driver before,” Antonia continued. “Water literally pours onto the floor as you sit down. Everything just feels disgusting
“I’ve never experienced headaches like I have in the last two years of driving. A couple of times I’ve got home and fainted through heat fatigue
“I’ve worked in the service industry for 40 years, and I’ve never been as tired as I’ve been for the past two years. I work full-time, a family to look after as well and a husband who also works full-time.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “Bus drivers play an essential role in keeping the capital moving. Alongside bus operators, we take their safety and welfare seriously, and we rightly require operators to meet high standards. Any reports from drivers are always fully investigated, and our operators should never take action against people raising concerns about welfare. We are looking into these reports with Metroline.”
Last week, MyLondon launched the Back Our Bus Drivers campaign to spotlight the inhumane conditions that drivers face and encourage Sir Sadiq Khan and TfL to take action. While a wider ‘Bill of Rights’ has been proposed at City Hall, MyLondon is particularly pushing for solutions surrounding fatigue, safety, a lack of toilet facilities and faulty air conditioning.
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