DfT Confirms It Does Not Hold Data on Assaults Against Bus Drivers

I have received a Freedom of Information response from the Department for Transport which raises serious questions about how violence against bus drivers is understood and monitored at a national level.

I asked the Department for Transport for annual figures covering reported assaults on bus staff over the last ten years. I also requested any available statistics relating to incidents of violence or crime occurring on local bus services, along with any analysis or research the Department holds on trends affecting bus workers.

The response confirmed that the Department for Transport does not hold this information. The Department advised that some information may be available within broader “Personal Safety on Transport” publications, but confirmed that specific data on assaults against bus workers and any analysis of trends affecting bus staff is not held.

This is significant.

Bus drivers are responsible for passenger safety, road safety, and the safe operation of large public service vehicles. They operate in public-facing roles, often working alone, and regularly deal with challenging situations including anti-social behaviour, fare disputes, service disruption, and passenger conflict.

Despite this, there appears to be no centrally held dataset monitoring assaults against bus staff.

This raises a number of important questions:

• How are risks to bus drivers being monitored nationally?
• How are trends in violence affecting bus workers identified?
• How are interventions targeted if data is not centrally collected?
• How can policy decisions be evidence-based without consistent data?
• How is driver welfare being assessed across the industry?

This issue also sits alongside wider concerns regarding gaps in national bus safety data. Through previous Freedom of Information requests and engagement across the sector, it is increasingly clear that safety information is fragmented across multiple organisations including operators, police forces, local authorities, and regulators.

Without consistent national monitoring, it becomes difficult to understand the scale of the issue, identify trends, or implement targeted safety interventions.

Violence against transport workers is not a new issue. Bus drivers regularly report incidents ranging from verbal abuse to physical assault. These incidents have direct implications for driver welfare, retention, fatigue, mental health, and ultimately passenger safety.

If we are serious about improving bus safety and supporting the workforce, there needs to be a clearer understanding of the risks drivers face.

Collecting and analysing this data would help:

• Identify trends in violence affecting bus drivers
• Target safety interventions
• Inform policy development
• Support driver welfare initiatives
• Improve incident reporting frameworks
• Strengthen safety governance across the bus sector

The absence of centrally held data does not mean incidents are not occurring. Rather, it suggests that information is not being brought together at a national level.

You cannot effectively manage risks that are not being measured.

As discussions continue around bus reform, franchising, safety standards, and Vision Zero approaches, this is an area that deserves further attention. Ensuring the safety of drivers is fundamental to ensuring the safety of passengers and the wider public.

This Freedom of Information response highlights an opportunity to improve how violence against bus workers is understood and addressed across the industry.

It is an issue that should not be overlooked.

Bus Safety, Bus Drivers, Violence Against Bus Drivers, Driver Welfare, Public Transport Safety, Department for Transport, Freedom of Information, Bus Industry, Transport Policy, Vision Zero, Bus Reform, Bus Franchising, Passenger Safety, Transport Workers, UK Bus Industry

About the Author
Lee Odams is a UK bus driver and trade union representative with nearly two decades of frontline operational experience. He is Branch Secretary of the RMT Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch and is actively involved in national discussions around bus safety, driver welfare, accessibility, and transport policy. Lee regularly publishes analysis and commentary based on Freedom of Information requests, industry engagement, and frontline operational experience.