A TikTok video showed a driverless bus being tested in a London depot, but according to TfL, there are no plans for autonomous services
A viral video of a driverless bus in a London depot has sparked fears among bus drivers about job security. The ‘no users in charge’ bus trial started in 2025 and has been run as a test to potentially support Transport for London (TfL) in their goal of stopping all deaths and public transport-related injuries by 2041.
In the midst of autonomous taxis being rolled out in London, a video posted to TikTok has sparked resistance from one GMB Union member and bus driver, James Rossi, who says the precedent set by the trials inside the bus depot could be dangerous.
Funded by various government departments and developed by Fusion Processing, the technology was rolled out in June 2025 with the aim of helping drivers park in Metroline and TfL depots, yet in the most recent video posted to TikTok on September 4, 2026, by the user Lisathebusdriver, the bus appears to be trying to navigate around parked cars in a TfL depot.
TfL and Metroline have both said that these feasibility tests were conducted on a “single day”, despite the trial having been going on for a year, and studies could potentially support the public transport operators’ goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities by 2041.
Mr Rossi, a trade union liaison officer for the Green Party, has told MyLondon of his concerns with the footage and implications for drivers across the capital, he said: “Hammersmith Bridge has their first driverless buses, and Metroline are trialling their driverless buses from April to April next year, so if they’re happy, then they’re going to start rolling those buses out across their fleet.
“That’s going to impact 24,000 bus drivers across London. That is going to have an impact on London and an impact on the welfare state.
“There are a few problems with buses already, without making them driverless. What normally happens is that one company trials something, then if that goes well, they will roll that out company-wide, and that will bounce off into all the other companies.
“So you can bet your bottom dollar that if they say save £20 million by having driverless buses, then all the others are going to jump on the same boat, aren’t they?
“You still have to have a bus operator. Your job will be to sit there, check the tickets, perform an emergency stop if needed, and shut the door. [In the TikTok video] you can see the engineer sitting in the front, but he’s not driving it, he’s just there in case something goes wrong.”
While Mr Rossi has shared concerns regarding the trial, it is currently limited to bus depots and their reorganisation in London.
Therefore, while TfL and Metroline have no plans for automated bus trials or services, the company that developed the technology has already implemented services in other areas of the country. Yet Fusion Processing has begun a passenger service in Cambridge, making a start on an autonomous service with a safety driver in the cab to ensure a smooth operation.
A Metroline Spokesperson said: “This demonstration was part of a feasibility study funded by Innovate UK into the potential for automated vehicle technology to support Vision Zero safety ambitions.
“The demonstration took place on a single day in one bus garage and a safety driver was present at all times. A report containing the findings of this feasibility study is being finalised and will be published shortly. There are no plans for any automated bus trials or services.”
Responding to MyLondon’s findings, TfL said it shares Metroline’s position in this instance.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
