TfL to install fatigue sensors in buses after drivers report 13-day stretches
Unite survey finds 36% of London bus drivers experience sleepiness at the wheel weekly, with almost half reporting fatigue-linked close calls
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Quotes given but no right of reply from operators or TfL beyond statement.
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Bus drivers in London are working up to 13 consecutive days with limited breaks, leading to reports of exhaustion and safety risks. Transport for London (TfL) confirmed plans to install fatigue-detection sensors or cameras in buses by next year, as reported by *This Is Local London*. The move follows a Unite survey that found 36% of drivers experience sleepiness while driving two or three times weekly.
Almost half of the drivers surveyed, 48%, reported a close call linked to fatigue in the past 12 months. Antonia Pugh-Thomas, a former bus driver in London, told *This Is Local London* she quit her role last month after nearly two years behind the wheel, citing unbearable conditions during heatwaves and chronic fatigue. She described shifts lasting up to 12 hours with only a 40-minute break, often cut short by traffic delays.
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“It’s perfectly normal for drivers to work up to 13 consecutive days. Of course you’re going to be tired when you only have a 40-minute break off, and there seems to be no allowance. There seems to be no understanding that this is bound to make the entire system institutionally unsafe.”
Antonia Pugh-Thomas, former London bus driver
Legal limits and union criticism
Current regulations permit bus drivers on local routes to work 10-hour days with a single 30-minute break after 5.5 hours of driving. There is no weekly or fortnightly limit on consecutive days, allowing drivers to work up to 130 hours over two weeks with only one mandatory day off every 14 days. Dylan Carroll, founder of London Bus Forums, told *This Is Local London* that the turnaround between shifts can be as little as nine hours, creating a cycle of fatigue.
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In June, Unite condemned TfL’s £500,000 spend on wellbeing initiatives, including sleep pods, as insufficient. The union argued the measures fail to address the root causes of fatigue, such as long shifts and inadequate breaks. Lorna Murphy, TfL’s Director of Buses, said the organisation is committed to working with operators and Unite to trial new fatigue-detection technology and improve driver welfare.
What happens next
TfL will begin installing fatigue-detection sensors or cameras in buses by 2025. The technology will monitor drivers’ eye movements, blinking rates, and head position to alert operators to signs of fatigue. However, drivers and unions have expressed concerns that the cameras may be used to penalise drivers rather than address scheduling issues. TfL has not yet announced changes to shift patterns or break regulations.
Residents and drivers can follow updates on TfL’s website or through Unite’s communications. Formal consultations on fatigue management policies are expected to take place later this year, though no dates have been confirmed.
Questions this report answers
+How many days in a row can London bus drivers work?
Current regulations allow bus drivers on local routes to work up to 13 consecutive days with no weekly limit, provided they have one day off every two weeks. Drivers have reported working these stretches with limited breaks, as stated by *This Is Local London*.
+What is TfL doing about bus driver fatigue?
TfL plans to install fatigue-detection sensors or cameras in buses by 2025 to monitor drivers’ alertness. The organisation has also allocated £500,000 for wellbeing initiatives, though unions criticise these as insufficient to address scheduling issues, as reported by *This Is Local London*.
+How often do bus drivers experience sleepiness while driving?
A Unite survey found 36% of London bus drivers experience sleepiness while driving two or three times weekly. Almost half, 48%, reported a fatigue-related close call in the past year, according to *This Is Local London*.
+What are the current break rules for bus drivers?
Bus drivers on local routes can work 10-hour days with a single 30-minute break after 5.5 hours of driving. There is no limit on consecutive days worked, only a requirement for one day off every two weeks, as outlined in TfL’s regulations.
WE FILE
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The London Travel Desk assembled this report from the outlets listed below. Language-model drafting is reviewed under human editorial supervision, with scoring notes and corrections kept visible.
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