Mayor turns down bus drivers’ Bill of Rights but adds £6m for 53 toilets

London’s mayor, Lord Khan, has refused to write a set of basic protections for bus drivers into TfL’s contracts with bus companies. He argued that fixed rules could quickly become outdated.

The London Assembly backed the Bus Driver Bill of Rights unanimously this summer. Reform assembly member Keith Prince put it forward in July. It sets out 12 demands, including toilets on every route, rest breaks, and cooling and heating that work in the cab.

Which bus driver demands City Hall has accepted

City Hall has signed up to three of the 12. They include toilets on all its bus routes and air conditioning in every driver’s cab by May 2027. Still outstanding is a safe work pattern, under which drivers would never be made to work extra hours or lose money. A decent rest break during the day has not been agreed either.

Campaigners want five core rights built into TfL’s contracts with every London bus operator. They also want checks after each contract is awarded to make sure working conditions stay acceptable.

Lord Khan said City Hall had to keep finding new ways to help drivers rather than rely on rules “stuck in stone”. He said nobody expected cab temperatures above 35 degrees ten years ago, but that is now recognised. He said more than £24 million had been spent on over 150 toilets for drivers during his 10 years as mayor, and he announced another £6 million for 53 more. He said he would keep working with TfL and the Unite union to improve conditions.

Keith Prince criticises the mayor’s response

Prince said: “Drivers deserve proper standards, not another excuse from the mayor.” He said it was astonishing that a mayor who often tells Londoners he is a bus driver’s son would dismiss firm protections this way. He added that the Assembly had backed his proposals unanimously.