London’s bus drivers will protest on 14 December against what they say are unsafe working conditions that put their passengers and themselves at risk.
As part of the bus workers’ Bill of Rights, drivers will protest their demands at Marble Arch to address the lack of toilet facilities, broken heating or air conditioning in their cabins, and unsafe working schedules.
Drivers said that these conditions have led them to fall asleep at the wheel or be distracted putting their, and their passengers’, safety at risk.
Bus driver activist Kevin Mustafa said: “The bus companies are desperate to make sure every bus goes from A to B without failure – it is mileage over safety, over everything.
“These are basic rights that everyone should be entitled to, yet bus drivers are having to fight to get them.”
Drivers said they have had to resort to urinating in bottles in their cabin due to a lack of toilets at the end of their bus route or having no time to leave the cabin to use one.
A TfL spokesperson said: “We are working 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.”
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