Contrary to what the nursery rhyme may lead us to believe, the wheels on the bus shan’t be going round and round all through the town this weekend. In fact, the wheels on seven London’s bus routes might not be going round at all, as a four-day long bus strike has recently been announced. And services running between central and east London are set to face severe disruption.
Over 300 London bus drivers (represented by Unite) are set to walk out later this week due to a dispute with the East London Bus & Coach Company (part of Stagecoach) about fatigue and working hours. The drivers at Bow bus garage are reportedly being made to ‘cover long distances without adequate breaks’. This is causing drivers to suffer from fatigue, and leaving them concerned about the safety of the passengers on board.
When will the bus strike action be taking place?
The upcoming strike action is currently set to take place between Thursday, March 19 and Sunday, March 22.
Which London bus routes will be affected by the strike action?
A total of seven bus routes are set to be impacted by the upcoming strike action. The affected services in question are:
- 8 (runs between Bow and Tottenham Court Road)
- 25 (runs between Ilford and Holborn)
- 205 (runs between Bow and Marble Arch)
- 425 (runs between Ilford and Clapton)
- N8 (runs between Marylebone and Hainault)
- N205 (runs between Paddington and Leyton)
- N25 (runs between Ilford and Oxford Circus)
There is expected to be little to no service on each of the impacted bus routes and passengers should expect cancellations and delays whilst the industrial action takes place. Local transport services may also be busier than usual due to the strike. You can use Transport for London’s website to check your journeys and find alternative routes.