It turns out that the wheels on the bus shan’t be going round and round all through the town this week, as it’s just been announced that a series of London bus strikes will be taking place over the next couple of months. And the first of them is happening this Friday (April 24).
7 busy bus routes will be impacted by industrial action, as around 300 London bus drivers are set to walk out over an ongoing dispute regarding fatigue and working hours. A similar four-day bus strike took place back in March, but it seems as though a resolution has still not been found.
The dispute is between bus drivers represented by Unite and the East London Bus & Coach Company (which is part of Stagecoach). The drivers at Bow bus garage are reportedly being made to ‘cover long distances without adequate breaks’ and aren’t being given sufficient time to recuperate between shifts. This is causing drivers to suffer from fatigue, and leaving them with concerns around the safety of on-board passengers.
When will the bus strikes be taking place?
Industrial action already took place last Friday (April 17), but there are still two more dates in which bus strikes will be taking place:
- Friday, April 24
- Friday, May 15
Which bus routes will be affected by the strikes?
A total of 7 London bus routes are set to be impacted by the upcoming strikes. 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 likely to be little to no service on each of the affected bus routes and passengers should expect delays whilst the strike action takes place. Other local transport services may also be busier than usual, and passengers are being encouraged to check their journeys in advance and allow for extra travel time.
John Murphy, Unite regional officer, said: “The last series of strikes were very disruptive and these further dates will be no exception.
“Industrial action is a last resort for our members, who have huge concerns around fatigue and safety. Stagecoach must do the right thing and come back to the table with meaningful solutions to the problems our members are raising.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “We encourage both parties to find a solution to this dispute and we’re sorry for any disruption to people’s journeys.”
You can use Transport for London’s website to check your journeys and find alternative routes.
