TfL to install fatigue cameras on London buses after drivers report collapse
Unite survey found 48% of drivers had a ‘close call’ due to tiredness in the past year
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Bus drivers in London are reporting physical collapse and frequent illness due to fatigue caused by long shifts and minimal breaks. Transport for London (TfL) will require operators to install cameras or sensors to detect driver tiredness by next year, but unions argue the measure fails to address the root cause, excessive working hours.
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Antonia Pugh-Thomas, 50, quit her job as a bus driver last month after two years behind the wheel. She told the Barnet Post that her immune system collapsed due to fatigue, leading to more frequent illnesses than she had experienced before. Pugh-Thomas described shifts lasting up to 12 hours with only a single 40-minute break, often cut short by traffic delays.
She said drivers are routinely expected to work 13 consecutive days before receiving a day off. The turnaround between shifts can be as little as nine hours, leaving little time for rest. Pugh-Thomas criticised TfL and bus operators for treating drivers ‘like machines’ and prioritising profit over safety. She said the current system is ‘institutionally unsafe’ and that the lack of understanding from employers is ‘shocking.’
“I’ve never been so ill as I’ve been since I’ve been a bus driver because my body, my immune system has just collapsed because of the fatigue.”
Antonia Pugh-Thomas, former bus driver
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Legal limits allow 130-hour fortnights
Current regulations permit bus drivers on local routes, those covering less than 50 km, to work 10-hour days with no weekly or fortnightly cap on total hours. Drivers can legally work up to 130 hours over two weeks, with only a 30-minute break after five and a half hours of driving. There is no requirement for a full day off each week; drivers must receive one day off every two weeks.
Dylan Carroll, founder of London Bus Forums, said the lack of rest between shifts creates a ‘constant cycle’ of fatigue. He told the Barnet Post that drivers often return home only to prepare for the next shift within hours. Carroll argued that TfL’s planned fatigue-detection cameras will do little to improve conditions, as drivers fear they will be penalised for yawning or other signs of tiredness.
TfL defends wellbeing measures but unions call them ‘insulting’
TfL has allocated £500,000 for wellbeing initiatives, including sleep pods, following a 2019 study by Loughborough University on driver fatigue. Unite, however, condemned the spending as ‘insulting,’ arguing that the measures fail to address the underlying issue of excessive working hours. The union said the initiatives have done little to reduce fatigue among drivers.
Lorna Murphy, TfL’s Director of Buses, said the agency is committed to ensuring fair work schedules and access to rest facilities. She said TfL requires operators to meet high welfare standards and is trialling new technology to detect fatigue. Murphy added that TfL is working with operators and Unite to gather data and implement evidence-based actions to support driver health.
What happens next
TfL will require bus operators to install fatigue-detection cameras or sensors by next year. The technology will monitor factors such as eye movements, blinking rate, and head position to alert drivers when signs of fatigue are detected. Unions, however, remain sceptical, arguing that the focus should be on reducing working hours rather than monitoring drivers.
It is unclear whether TfL will review the current legal limits on working hours or introduce additional rest requirements. Drivers and unions continue to call for a reduction in consecutive working days and longer breaks between shifts.
Questions this report answers
+How many hours can London bus drivers legally work?
Bus drivers on local routes can work up to 10-hour days and 130 hours over two weeks, with only a 30-minute break after five and a half hours driving. They must receive one day off every two weeks, but there is no weekly limit on total hours.
+What is TfL doing to address driver fatigue?
Transport for London will require bus operators to install fatigue-detection cameras or sensors by next year. The technology will monitor drivers for signs of tiredness, but unions argue the measure does not address excessive working hours, the root cause of fatigue.
+How common are fatigue-related incidents among bus drivers?
A Unite survey found 36% of London bus drivers experience sleepiness while driving two or three times a week. Nearly half, 48%, reported having a ‘close call’ due to fatigue in the past year, as reported by the Barnet Post.
+What do bus drivers say about their working conditions?
Drivers report working up to 13 consecutive days with as little as nine hours between shifts. Many describe physical collapse, frequent illness, and minimal breaks, often cut short by traffic delays. Former driver Antonia Pugh-Thomas said the system is ‘institutionally unsafe.’
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