London bus drivers say fatigue is a ‘ticking time bomb’ and on some occasions they had to ‘pee in bottles’ because they can’t get to a toilet.
Bus drivers campaigning for better work conditions claim it is ‘only a matter time before a driver driving through Oxford Street falls asleep at the wheel and takes out a family.’
Drivers also told Metro about problems accessing toilets on routes and some have turned to using bottles instead.
More than 23,000 people have signed a petition with 12 demands, called the Bus Drivers Bill of Rights, which they delivered to City Hall today.
A safe work schedule and proper rest breaks
Kevin Mustafa put together the Bill of Rights petition and was a bus driver and rep from 2016-2021.
The 55-year-old told Metro: ‘Issues with fatigue are getting worse and worse and worse.
‘Drivers are sacrificing their sleep and driving like a zombie. It is putting passengers at risk.’
‘The companies want the buses to continuously go.’
TfL has defended the working practices and safety conditions.
Kevin is one of several drivers, including current drivers, who complained to Metro about problems with exhaustion.
They claim stand times, the time drivers have to rest between journeys, are being ‘squeezed’ and rotas are giving drivers insufficient rest.
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Scheduling also means drivers can have only 10 hours between shifts, they say.
Kevin said: ‘They don’t want you to have 10 minutes so you can go to the toilet, grab a drink of a cold drink if it’s hot, or grab a hot drink if it’s cold
‘You can be doing 70, 80, 90 hours before you’ve had a day off.
‘It is a ticking time bomb. It is a matter of time before a driver through Oxford Street who falls asleep at the wheel and mounts the pavement and takes out a family. Then there will be a huge uproar.’
Kevin claims he used to work the maximum 13 days on the trot when he first started, a practice he claims is common among the lower paid drives.
He said: ‘I would do 130 hours before taking a day off. Honestly, it is scary.
‘Most drivers will tell you privately they’ve fallen asleep at a bus stop,’ they added.’
Research from Loughborough University in 2019 showed one in six drivers reported falling asleep at the wheel of a bus.
TfL has a Bus Safety Strategy which outlines specific actions for TfL, bus operators and the bus industry to deliver a safe bus network.
The strategy also sets out TfL’s focus on safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe behaviours, safe streets, post-collision support and investigation.
The Mayor’s Vision Zero goal aims to eliminate death and serious injury on the transport network by 2041, as well as ensure that no one will be killed in, or by, a London bus by 2030.
Lorraine Robertson, 68, was a bus driver of 17 years and a driver rep before quitting in 2021.
She told Metro: ‘You could do a 12-hour shift with a 40-minute lunch break.
‘Rest breaks are not sufficient. They squeeze and squeeze every little drop out of bus drivers.’
Clean, serviced toilet and rest facilities
Lorraine is a leading campaigner on toilet dignity and wants to highlight that 25% of bus routes do not have a toilet at one end.
TfL have said bus operators and the bus driver’s union have agreed one toilet is sufficient on routes with a round trip of less than 150 minutes.
She alleged: ‘The facilities are not there. Toilets are inaccessible.
‘Of all the routes I have done, for many there were no toilets or you were at the mercy of a shop, tube station or council office.’
‘Diabetes is another reason why they need to be accessible toilets. Male bus drivers who have had prostate cancer also need toilets on their route.’
Lorraine claimed issues with toilet accessibility have an impact on safety.
‘When you are desperate, it is very painful, you lose concentration because basically you’re trying to stop yourself from wetting yourself.’
She did note that after she spoke at a previous driver protest on this issue on November 5, a closed toilet in Trafalgar square was opened the next morning and another toilet has now been opened in Ealing.
Kevin Mustafa said he has heard of bus drivers urinating in bottles because they had nowhere else to go. This claim has been supported by other bus drivers who spoke to Metro.
(Provider:Ian Armstrong collection)
One bus driver was sacked in March 2024 after CCTV footage showed him urinating in a bottle and throwing it out of the window of a moving bus.
One bus rep in London said: ‘Particularly for female drivers, it’s disgusting.
What are bus drivers demanding?
1. The Right to a safe work schedule without any forced overtime or loss of pay
2. The Right to a decent and proper rest break in the working day
3. The Right to drive a safe and well-maintained vehicle
4. The Right to clean, serviced toilet and rest facilities on all bus routes
5. The Right to report safety concerns without fear of retribution from TfL or employers
6. The Right, when seriously ill and covered by a doctor’s note, to not be harassed into coming into work until fit to do so
7. The Right to relevant and timely safety training
8. The Right to drive without being forced to answer radio messages and texts from Controllers whilst in motion
9. The Right to have all company rules in writing and clearly displayed
10. The Right to be treated with dignity and respect by our employers, TfL and the public
11. The Right to Working Air Cooling in our cabs in the summer heat
12. The Right to Working Heaters in our cabs in the cold of winter
‘How do they get any sort of dignity?’
Functional air-cooling and heating systems
Bus drivers also alleged their buses are too hot during the summer and too cold during the winter, conditions which they say are also affecting safety.
Drivers reported experiencing temperatures of over 40 degrees in the cab, where they sit to drive the bus, during summer.
Kevin said: ‘When it’s hot, it is like sitting in a sauna or a greenhouse.
‘Your shirt is soaking wet.’
One bus rep told Metro it sometimes feels like they are ‘driving a mobile greenhouse.’
‘Imagine you you’ve got a 12-hour day, nine hours of that you’re driving, and you’re driving in 40-degree heat when you come off the bus.
‘You haven’t got anywhere to take a meal break because there’s lots of duties where you have roadside meal breaks.
‘So you’re just exhausted by the end of the day and you might have 13 days of that before you get one day off.’
Drivers have also alleged driving in extremely cold conditions due to heating systems not working.
Lorraine said: ‘Sometimes you can’t feel your feet when the cab is so cold or it’s blowing out freezing cold air on you, on your face, on, and on your hands.
‘How can you be in charge of a bus when you’re freezing cold.’
Protection for whistleblowers
Multiple bus drivers used the term ‘culture of fear’ to allege pressure on bus drivers not to speak out about conditions.
Bus drivers cited these reasons for remaining unnamed in this article.
Kevin claimed: ‘If anyone’s caught speaking to the press, they’ll be pulled in and they’ll be challenged on it.’
A current London bus rep alleged: ‘Most of us would feel like they’re going to become a target if they do start fighting and reporting things.’
TfL has previously strongly denied these accusations.
Campaigners and bus drivers are gathering outside City Hall to hand over their petition calling for a Bus Drivers Bill of Rights to Green Party representative Caroline Russell.
They want TfL and bus companies to adopt these principles in their contract so they have to be adhered to.
Bus drivers are concerned about figures which show three people are hospitalised a day due to Bus Safety Incidents.
In January 2024, Kathleen Finnegan was hit and killed by a bus at Victoria bus station.
Kathleen was one of nine pedestrians to be killed in bus collisions in a sixth month period.
Lorna Murphy, TfL’s Director of Buses, said: ‘Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by collisions and incidents on the bus network.
‘Every death and serious injury on the transport network is devastating and we’re determined to end the trauma caused by serious incidents on the transport network.
‘Alongside bus operators, we take our bus drivers’ safety and welfare seriously and contracts with bus operators rightly require operators to meet high standards.
‘Bus drivers play an essential role in keeping the capital moving and we are working together on a range of measures to 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 value all feedback from the thousands of people who work tirelessly to keep London’s bus network moving and will carefully consider any proposals for improvements to safety and welfare.’
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