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TfL London bus driver claims temperatures in his cab reached 48C during heatwave

A temperature reading that bus driver Moe claims to have taken on his bus on July 15: @Unite_Battersea
A temperature reading that bus driver Moe claims to have taken on his bus on July 15: @Unite_Battersea

A London bus driver has claimed temperatures in his cab reached up to 48C during the heatwave sparking safety fears.

Unite Union Representative Moe, who has been a driver for 10 years, said the hot conditions on some buses were leaving drivers feeling "faint" and "drowsy".

He told the Standard that some of the vehicles did not have adequate air conditioning facilities and drivers are overheating as a heatwave continues to grip London and the south-east.

Transport for London said all buses on the network since 2012 are required to have air conditioning for drivers and it said it was committed to improving conditions.

It said it was encouraging bus operators to work with drivers to make sure they have a comfortable working environment.

Green Party London Assembly member Caroline Russell has urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan to introduce a "maximum working temperature policy" for drivers and investigate to make sure all buses have fully working air conditioning.

Moe, 31, said: “We’re not driving fast enough for air to come in [to the bus cabin]. You feel drowsy sometimes and you can feel a little faint. And at the same time you have customers asking you to put the air conditioning on.”

He claimed hot temperatures on buses is a problem "every summer” and has argued that some buses do not have air conditioning on “at all”.

Moe added that drivers are overheating while trying to concentrate on driving safely and manage passengers.

He said: “The highest recorded temperature I have for a bus cabin is 48C, so you can imagine that’s a lot.

“We are trying to concentrate in this heat so you’re going to be driving slowly, which doesn’t allow any air in.”

Ms Russell has submitted a questioned Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on the issue.

She has asked Mr Khan to ask TfL to “introduce a maximum working temperature policy for bus drivers” and “to investigate the issue and ensure that bus companies operating in London have fully working air conditioning units on their buses”.

She said: “The reason I think it’s important to ask these questions is because the Mayor wants to have a safe transport system and his drivers are working in hot conditions that seems to me to be really risky and it’s the kind of the thing that can be designed out.”

Mr Khan is due to give an answer to Cllr Russel’s questions next Wednesday. City Hall also been approached for a comment by the Standard.

Claire Mann, Director of Bus Operations at TfL, said: “Buses and bus drivers play a vital role in keeping our city moving and growing, and we’re committed to improving conditions for them to ensure they can continue to play this part.

“We have required all new buses since 2012 to have air conditioning for drivers, and we would encourage operators to work with their drivers to ensure that they have comfortable work environments.”