After close working with UNITE the Union, Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London are taking further action to improve welfare for bus drivers by increasing the provision of toilets. Bus drivers play a vital role in keeping London moving and delivering a safe, reliable and accessible bus network for millions of Londoners every day. This new intervention will ensure that there are suitable toilet facilities for drivers on every route.
Since Sadiq became Mayor, TfL has invested a record £24.5m in welfare facilities for bus drivers such as toilets and mess rooms, and now a further £6m is set to be invested this financial year. In total, TfL is planning to build an additional 53 new toilet buildings for bus drivers across the capital over the next three years to further enhance areas of lower provision for drivers.
In the past eight years, a record 154 locations have either been refurbished or had a brand-new toilet installed, under Sadiq’s mayoralty, as part of TfL’s ongoing programme to ensure that all bus drivers can carry out their vital work safely and comfortably.
The vast majority of London’s almost 700 bus routes now have suitable toilet facilities at either both or one of the route’s termini. Six bus routes in the capital do not currently have toilet facilities at either terminus, meaning drivers working on these routes can either access facilities mid-route or a short walk from the terminus. To improve drivers’ welfare and ensure that the network can run effectively, TfL is accelerating plans to install toilet facilities at one terminus of each of the six routes as a priority. TfL has been working to agree suitable locations with local stakeholders and will continue working with the relevant boroughs to ensure that these final routes in the network have the facilities they need. Ten other routes have toilets at termini but they may not be accessible for every hour the route operates, and TfL is also working at pace so that drivers working on these routes have suitable facilities throughout their shift.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I know, from personal experience, just what a vital role London’s hard-working bus drivers play in keeping the capital moving around the clock. It’s an absolute priority for me and TfL to ensure that every bus driver across our great city has the facilities they need to do their crucial work safely and comfortably. That’s why we’re investing more to support fantastic bus drivers and working at pace to install these essential facilities, which will help us provide a more effective bus network for everyone, as we continue building a fairer and better London for all.”
Carl Eddleston, TfL’s Director of Streets and Network Operations, said: “Bus drivers play a vital role in ensuring the success of the capital’s bus network, enabling people across London to travel sustainably and affordably. Drivers rightly expect to have the facilities they need to carry out their roles safely and comfortably, which is why we’re committed to investing in better toilet facilities for drivers. We’ll continue to work closely with operators, drivers and trade unions to ensure that everyone can work safely and comfortably on our bus network.”
This announcement follows news last week that the Mayor of London, TfL and Unite the Union have reached a groundbreaking agreement to install modern air conditioning in all bus driver cabs by the end of May 2027, with enhanced air-conditioning standards already being rolled out across London’s bus fleet. The agreement forms a key part of the work of the ‘Extreme Weather Taskforce’, which brings together representatives from City Hall and TfL with Unite the Union and London’s bus operators to improve working conditions for drivers during periods of extreme weather.
