Hundreds of bus drivers marched on Parliament Square to campaign for a bill of rights in London bus contracts as support for their petition surpassed 26,000 signatures.
On 29 January, bus drivers, Unite representatives and supporters marched from Grosvenor Gardens in Victoria to Parliament Square to highlight their demands – including toilet and rest facilities on all routes, a work schedule without forced overtime and temperature control for drivers to help in the depths of winter and summer.
Former bus driver Kevin Mustafa has been leading the campaign since its regeneration last year and said this was just another step in their march to victory.
He said: “I want to see 20,000 drivers walk down the street, with buses left to sit in garages across London.”
Mustafa left the industry in 2021 after three of his friends died of Covid while working as bus drivers and now fights against what he calls a corrupt system.
The event was scheduled for the anniversary of the death of Kathleen Finnegan, a woman who was hit and killed at Victoria bus station.
Supporters held a moment of reflection to remember those who have been killed by buses before setting off.
Since 2017, bus drivers have been demanding a bill of rights in their contracts, evidencing their claims with a London Assembly investigation, a TfL-commissioned report by Loughborough University, and even the former safety officer for TfL branding it ‘institutionally unsafe’.
All along their route, the group caused traffic to pile up behind them and though some were clearly irritated, they received enthusiastic support from many passing drivers and pedestrians alike.
The supporters rallied at Parliament Square after a minute’s silence to remember the 76 London bus drivers who died during the Covid pandemic.
Speakers commented on the injustice of their treatment when once they were hailed as key workers.
Lorraine Robertson, a former bus driver championing toilet dignity, read the story of a driver who said she was forced to urinate in an alley along her route when she was instructed to use the toilets in a library which was closed.
A 2023 response to a Mayor’s Question held that toilets were available at one end of a route lasting over 150 minutes, but drivers still say over a quarter of routes are without proper rest facilities.
Many were outraged, too, that the TfL list of toilets included some which required payment to use and said it showed Mayor Sadiq Khan and TfL didn’t take their wellbeing seriously.
Drivers also expressed their anger at feeling forced to request work during their rest days because of low starting salaries, even if they knew buses weren’t safe or they weren’t fully rested.
Former TfL safety officer Michael Liebreich said: “At no point and in no way is there a code for the system being at fault.”
Speakers pointed to TfL’s insistence that much of what they were asking for is already covered in other rights and agreements, but the fact that they were marching showed it wasn’t working.
They said they needed these rights to hold TfL and bus companies accountable for driver and passenger safety before the London model for buses is rolled out across the country.
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “Even when there are laws in place, we often have to take action to make sure employers follow that law as well.”
Green AM Caroline Russell also marched with the crowd, accepted a copy of the petition to present to the mayor, and made a short speech referencing her own campaigning for public toilets.
Mustafa said more events are planned for the year and beyond.
Ultimately, he said the campaign wants to see an independent bus safety panel consisting not of TfL members or bus operators, but of former and current bus drivers.
In response, 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 contracts with bus operators rightly require operators to meet high standards.
“We are working together on a range of measures to improve working conditions, health and wellbeing and 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 encourage any driver with concerns to contact their employer, their union, or the Confidential Incident Reporting & Analysis Service (CIRAS) anonymously.
“We would like to reassure staff 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 will carefully consider any proposals for improvements to safety and welfare.”
All images – Oscar Herbert-Maynard
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