London’s bus drivers are set for better toilet breaks and cooler cabs after Transport for London unveiled a new welfare push — including a pledge to fit air conditioning in every driver’s cab by the end of May 2027.
The commitment follows two announcements from TfL this month. On 9 September, the Mayor, TfL and Unite the Union struck what they described as a “groundbreaking agreement” to retrofit modern air conditioning and ventilation to every bus driver cab that does not already meet the latest specifications, with the work to be completed by the end of May 2027. Then on 21 September, TfL set out wider welfare plans, promising funding for 53 more toilet buildings for drivers across the capital over the next three years.
According to TfL, the air-con deal was hammered out by its Extreme Weather Taskforce, which brings together City Hall, TfL, Unite and London’s bus operators. Pilot retrofits are already under way: the cab of a New Routemaster has been fitted with the latest ventilation and air conditioning and is being trialled in service with what TfL calls “encouraging feedback from drivers”, while a second Routemaster has been fitted with a different system to help build a robust supply chain. TfL says further testing is under way across other bus types, alongside measures including solar film, improved seating and better access to hydration.
The Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said: “This is personal to me. I know just what a vital role London’s hard-working bus drivers play in keeping the capital moving around the clock.” He described the agreement as “historic” and thanked drivers for “all their work keeping London moving during this unprecedented summer of heat.”
On toilets, TfL says it has invested a record £24.5 million in driver welfare facilities such as toilets and mess rooms since Mr Khan became Mayor, with a further £6 million to be invested this financial year. In that time, 154 locations have been refurbished or given brand-new toilets. The new funding will pay for 53 additional toilet buildings over the next three years, targeted at areas of lower provision.
The vast majority of London’s almost 700 bus routes now have suitable facilities at one or both termini, TfL says, but six routes still have none at either end — meaning drivers there must use facilities mid-route or a short walk from the terminus. TfL says it is accelerating plans to install facilities at one terminus of each of those six routes as a priority, and is also working to ensure drivers on ten other routes have facilities they can use throughout their shifts.
Lorna Murphy, TfL’s director of buses, said: “We recognise how challenging recent weather conditions have been for drivers and remain fully committed to maintaining momentum as this taskforce develops immediate improvements and longer-term solutions.”
Carl Eddleston, TfL’s director of streets and network operations, said: “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.”
The announcements come as TfL faces pressure on several fronts — from the row over proposed Hackney bus cuts to rising Silvertown and Blackwall tunnel tolls — as well as its prosecution over the fatal Walthamstow bus crash.
