London Has Backed a Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights — Now Britain Needs One

There are moments in a campaign when something that has been said for years suddenly breaks through.

Not because the problem is new.

Not because drivers have only just started speaking.

Not because those in power have suddenly discovered what is happening.

But because the evidence, the campaigning, the journalism, the pressure and the lived experience of workers finally reach a point where the issue can no longer be ignored.

That is where we now are with the Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.

The London Assembly has unanimously backed a motion calling for a Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.

That matters.

It matters for London bus drivers.

It matters for the campaigners who have pushed this issue for years.

It matters for every driver who has been told to just get on with it, keep running, cope with the heat, cope with the fatigue, cope without proper toilets, cope with poor welfare facilities, cope with pressure from control, cope with unsafe schedules, and cope with being blamed when the system fails.

But it must not stop at London.

If London bus drivers need a Bill of Rights, then every bus driver in Britain needs one.

The Job Is the Same Outside London

A bus driver in Nottingham, Derby, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle or Cornwall is still a safety-critical worker.

They are still driving a large passenger vehicle in live traffic.

They are still responsible for passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, road users and themselves.

They are still expected to make constant safety decisions, often under pressure, often while dealing with traffic, late running, diversions, assaults, complaints, defective vehicles, lack of toilets, poor facilities, long duties, fatigue, heat, cold and management pressure.

The risks do not stop at the M25.

Heat does not stop at the M25.

Fatigue does not stop at the M25.

Toilet access problems do not stop at the M25.

Unsafe schedules do not stop at the M25.

Cab temperatures do not stop at the M25.

The need for dignity and respect at work does not stop at the M25.

So why should basic rights?

What London Has Now Backed

The London Assembly motion is reported as calling for contractual protections for bus drivers, including:

Safe work schedules without forced overtime.

Proper rest breaks.

Safe and well-maintained vehicles.

Toilet and welfare facilities on routes.

Protection for reporting safety concerns.

Adequate safety training.

Working heating and cooling in driver cabs.

Dignity and respect at work.

Those are not radical demands.

They are not luxuries.

They are the basic conditions that should already exist in any modern public transport system.

Yet bus drivers have had to campaign for them as though they are asking for something extraordinary.

That tells us everything about how the industry has treated bus workers for far too long.

Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch Was Already Calling for This

This campaign did not come from nowhere.

At the 2025 RMT National Industrial Organising Conference of Bus Workers, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch submitted two resolutions on this very issue.

One resolution called for RMT to support and campaign for a National Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.

The other called for RMT to support the London Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights campaign and for the Mayor of London to write those rights into Transport for London’s framework bus services contract.

Both passed unanimously.

That is important.

It means our branch was already saying clearly that bus drivers need a national standard and that the London campaign deserved support.

We were not waiting for the issue to become fashionable.

We were not waiting for the cameras.

We were not waiting for someone else to say it first.

We were saying what bus drivers already knew from experience: this industry needs enforceable rights, not warm words.

The National Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights resolution called for:

The right to a safe work schedule without forced overtime or loss of pay.

The right to a decent and proper rest break in the working day.

The right to drive a safe and well-maintained vehicle.

The right to clean, serviced toilet and rest facilities on all bus routes.

The right to report safety concerns without fear of retribution from employers.

The right, when ill and covered by a doctor’s note, not to be harassed into coming into work until fit to do so, and to suffer no detriment.

The right to relevant and timely safety training.

The right to drive without being forced to answer radio messages and texts from controllers whilst in motion, or being pressured to drive outside the law.

The right to have all company rules in writing and clearly displayed.

The right to be treated with dignity and respect by employers, central and local government, and the public.

That is a serious programme for change.

It is not just a slogan.

It is a blueprint for basic decency in the bus industry.

Supporting London — But Learning the National Lesson

The second resolution from Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch specifically supported our comrades in London and their campaign for a London Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.

That resolution included many of the same rights, but also made clear that bus drivers need:

Working air cooling in cabs in summer.

Working heaters in cabs in the cold of winter.

Those two points matter even more now.

We are now seeing extreme weather become a direct workplace safety issue.

This year we have already seen record-breaking heat in May and June.

We are only just into July.

Drivers are reporting cab temperatures around 40°C and above.

Drivers are reporting nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, exhaustion, loss of balance and feeling unable to safely continue.

Some are reporting being docked pay after heat-related incidents.

That is not acceptable.

A driver should not have to choose between their health, their wages, their licence and passenger safety.

A driver who stops because they are genuinely unwell due to heat is not refusing work.

They are responding to a safety risk.

They may be protecting themselves.

They may be protecting passengers.

They may be protecting the public.

If London can say drivers should stop when it is unsafe and should not be penalised, that principle must apply nationally.

The ITV Coverage Has Changed the Conversation

ITV London has now run a series of major reports on bus driver working conditions.

Those reports have covered fatigue, welfare, toilet access, hot cabs, unsafe conditions and the pressure drivers are under.

That journalism matters.

It has helped force the issue into the open.

It has put driver welfare into public view.

It has shown that what many drivers have been saying quietly, angrily and repeatedly for years is real.

The recent ITV report on the Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights is another important step.

It reports that London Assembly members have agreed a motion for a Bill of Rights and that the motion will now go to the Mayor, who must formally respond.

That is progress.

But now we need the national conversation.

What ITV has exposed in London is not only happening in London.

The same broad issues exist across Britain.

They may look different depending on the operator, the region, the route, the contract model, the depot and the local authority, but the themes are painfully familiar to bus drivers everywhere.

Fatigue.

Heat.

Poor welfare.

Toilets.

Rest breaks.

Defective vehicles.

Unclear policies.

Pressure from control.

Fear of reporting safety concerns.

Loss of pay.

Lack of respect.

Fragmented accountability.

The country needs to understand that this is not just a London transport story.

It is a national bus safety story.

The Problem Is Structural

The bus industry is fragmented.

In London, TfL has a much more direct role through its contracted bus system.

Elsewhere, we have a mixture of commercial operation, enhanced partnerships, supported services, franchising models and local transport authority arrangements.

That fragmentation makes accountability harder.

When something goes wrong, responsibility gets passed around.

Operators point to commercial pressures.

Authorities point to limited powers.

Government points to local arrangements.

Regulators point to narrow remits.

Drivers are left in the cab, carrying the risk.

That has to change.

If buses are public transport, then public authorities cannot wash their hands of driver welfare and safety.

If operators are paid to provide services, they must provide safe vehicles, safe schedules and proper welfare arrangements.

If government is reforming bus services through legislation, then worker safety must be written into that reform.

If franchising is being promoted nationally, then the safety lessons from London must be learned before those models are rolled out elsewhere.

A Bill of Rights cannot just sit as a nice phrase.

It must become enforceable.

From London Motion to National Standard

The London Assembly vote should now be used as leverage.

It should not become another report, another motion, another well-meaning statement that disappears into a file.

It should be the start of something bigger.

We need national guidelines.

We need national standards.

Where possible, we need legislation.

The Bus Services legislation and wider transport policy framework should include real protections for bus workers.

That should include:

A national Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.

A requirement for safe schedules.

Protection from forced overtime and loss of pay.

Proper rest breaks based on duty length and safety, not just the minimum legal interpretation.

Access to clean toilets and welfare facilities on routes.

Working heating and cooling in driver cabs.

Clear temperature thresholds and heat/cold procedures.

Protection from detriment where drivers report genuine safety concerns.

Access to independent confidential safety reporting.

Published bus safety data.

Independent investigation of serious bus incidents.

Safety competence requirements for local authority officials involved in franchising and bus operations.

Trade union involvement in local transport authority forums, enhanced partnership structures and franchising arrangements.

A proper voice for drivers in the systems that shape their working lives.

Without that, the same mistakes will be repeated.

The Driver Gets Blamed When the System Fails

This is one of the deepest problems in the bus industry.

When services run late, the driver faces the passenger.

When a bus is too hot, the driver sits in the cab.

When there is no toilet, the driver suffers.

When a timetable is unrealistic, the driver carries the pressure.

When a route is unsafe, the driver navigates it.

When fatigue builds, the driver feels it.

When a collision happens, the driver is often the first person blamed.

But many of the risks are created by decisions made far above the driver’s seat.

Contract design.

Timetables.

Layover time.

Vehicle procurement.

Engineering standards.

Route planning.

Welfare provision.

Control room culture.

Management policy.

Local authority funding.

Government regulation.

A Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights is not about avoiding responsibility.

Bus drivers already carry enormous responsibility.

It is about making sure the system carries its share too.

Heat Safety Shows Why Rights Matter

The current heat issue makes the case perfectly.

A driver can be sat in a cab at around 40°C or higher.

They can become dizzy, nauseous, exhausted or visually affected.

They can report that they do not feel safe to continue.

They can be relieved or told to return to depot.

They can still end up losing pay.

That is exactly why rights are needed.

A proper Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights would make clear that drivers must be able to report safety concerns without fear of retribution or financial penalty.

A proper heat policy would make clear what happens when cab temperatures become excessive.

A proper national standard would mean operators cannot simply improvise case by case.

A proper safety culture would treat heat illness as a workplace safety issue, not a driver inconvenience.

A proper system would ask:

What was the cab temperature?

Was the fan working?

Was ventilation effective?

Was there any working air cooling?

Was the driver provided with water?

Was there a welfare check?

Was relief arranged?

Was the driver given time to cool down?

Was the vehicle inspected?

Was the duty recorded correctly?

Was the driver paid?

Was the incident reviewed to prevent recurrence?

That is what safety looks like.

Not “open a window and carry on”.

Not “drink water and get on with it”.

Not “what do you want to do?”

Not “sign off and lose pay”.

A National Campaign Must Now Follow

The London Assembly has moved.

The media has started to expose the reality.

Campaigners have kept the pressure on.

Drivers have spoken out.

RMT bus workers have passed resolutions.

Now the national campaign must follow.

I want to see the Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights become a national demand across the industry.

I want to see the UK Government engage with it.

I want to see the Minister for Roads and Buses look at it seriously.

I want to see combined authority mayors and local transport authorities adopt it.

I want to see it embedded in franchising.

I want to see it built into enhanced partnerships.

I want to see it form part of procurement, contracts and operator expectations.

I want to see trade unions involved properly.

I want to see drivers’ voices heard directly, not filtered through operators who may prefer a quieter version of reality.

And I want to see the public understand that this is not just about drivers.

It is about passenger safety.

It is about road safety.

It is about public transport safety.

It is about whether we are serious about buses being a safe, sustainable and dignified part of the transport system.

The Rights Drivers Need Are Basic

Let us be clear.

Bus drivers are not asking for special treatment.

They are asking for the basics.

A safe schedule.

A proper break.

A safe vehicle.

A working cab.

A toilet.

Somewhere to rest.

The ability to report safety concerns without fear.

Clear rules.

Proper training.

Dignity.

Respect.

Working cooling in summer.

Working heating in winter.

Protection from loss of pay when they cannot safely continue due to conditions outside their control.

Those are not unreasonable demands.

They are the minimum.

Standing on the Shoulders of Campaigners

The London campaign owes a huge amount to drivers and campaigners who refused to let this issue die.

People like Kevin Mustafa and others have kept pushing when the system did not want to listen.

Drivers have spoken out about fatigue, welfare, toilets, heat, unsafe conditions and the pressures placed on them.

Journalists have exposed what was being ignored.

Unions and activists have kept raising the alarm.

Many of these battles have taken years.

Many have hit brick walls.

Many have been dismissed, delayed or deflected.

But change rarely arrives because systems decide to be generous.

Change happens because people keep pushing.

As the saying often attributed to Isaac Newton reminds us, we see further by standing on the shoulders of giants.

In this campaign, every driver who has spoken up, every rep who has raised a case, every campaigner who has gathered evidence, every journalist who has told the story, and every branch that has put motions through union structures has helped move the issue forward.

This Is the Moment to Push

The London Assembly backing a Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights is not the end of the campaign.

It is the opening.

It gives us leverage.

It gives us momentum.

It gives us a clear question to ask every mayor, every transport authority, every operator, every minister and every regulator:

If London bus drivers need these rights, why do bus drivers elsewhere not need them?

If London drivers need working cooling in summer, why not drivers in Nottingham, Derby, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow and everywhere else?

If London drivers need protection when reporting safety concerns, why not every driver?

If London drivers need proper toilets and welfare facilities, why not every driver?

If London drivers need safe schedules and proper rest breaks, why not every driver?

If London drivers need dignity and respect, why not every driver?

There is no good answer to those questions.

There is only delay.

And delay is no longer acceptable.

Conclusion: From London Victory to National Standard

The London Assembly vote is a significant moment.

It should be welcomed.

It should be recognised.

It should be credited to those who fought for it.

But it should also be used.

Used to build national pressure.

Used to push government.

Used to challenge operators.

Used to influence mayors and transport authorities.

Used to strengthen trade union campaigns.

Used to protect drivers.

Used to protect passengers.

Used to protect the public.

Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch called for a National Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.

We supported the London campaign.

Now London has moved.

The next step is clear.

Britain needs a Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.

Not as a slogan.

Not as a press release.

Not as a postcode lottery.

As a national standard.

Protect bus drivers.

Protect passengers.

Protect the public.

Sources / further reading:

ITV News London — Bus drivers call for Bill of Rights to make working conditions safer
https://www.itv.com/news/london/2026-07-02/bus-drivers-call-for-bill-of-rights-to-make-working-conditions-safer

BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2d93r5gp9o

MyLondon — City Hall unanimously backs Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights
https://www.mylondon.news/news/transport/city-hall-unanimously-backs-bus-34226360

YouTube — London Assembly / Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights
https://youtu.be/Ev43ztvhhr8?is=KlaYp_QScqIcrJY2

Kevin Mustafa responds to Andy Lord’s letter
https://saferoxfordstreet.blogspot.com/2026/07/kevin-mustafa-responds-to-andy-lords.html?m=1

TfL’s Annual Dangerously-Hot Bus Cab Crisis
https://saferoxfordstreet.blogspot.com/2026/07/tfls-annual-dangerously-hot-bus-cab.html?m=1

About the author:

Lee Odams is a bus driver with nearly two decades in the industry. He is Branch Secretary of the RMT Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch, Secretary of the RMT National Industrial Organising Conference of Bus Workers, a member of the RMT Bus & Coach Sectorial Organising Committee, a member of the Yorkshire & Lincolnshire Regional Council Executive Committee, a member of the RMT Branch and Regional Secretaries Conference Executive Committee, and a Health and Safety Representative.

He campaigns on bus driver welfare, safety, heat exposure, toilet access, working conditions, public transport policy and stronger national standards for bus workers.

Disclaimer:

This article is written in my personal capacity as a bus driver, trade union activist and transport safety campaigner. The views expressed are my own. It is not written as an official statement on behalf of RMT, my employer, or any other organisation unless explicitly stated.

Tags:

Bus Drivers Bill of Rights, Bus Safety, Bus Driver Welfare, RMT, RMT Bus Workers, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Bus Branch, London Assembly, TfL, Sadiq Khan, Kevin Mustafa, ITV News, Public Transport Safety, Driver Welfare, Heat Safety, Cab Temperatures, Toilet Access, Fatigue, Working Conditions, Transport Policy, Bus Services Bill, Trade Union Campaigning.