| Label | Content |
|---|---|
| Meeting: | MQT on 23 May 2024 |
| Session name: | MQT on 23/05/2024 between 10:00 and 13:00 |
| Reference: | 2024/1540 |
| Question by: | Keith Prince |
| Organisation: | City Hall Conservatives |
| Asked of: | The Mayor |
| Category: | Transport |
Question
Bus Driver Fatigue: Monitoring Appropriate Total Level of Bus Drivers' Stand/Recovery Time
In your response to question 2024/0177, you stated “The appropriate total level of stand / recovery time will therefore vary by the route and location, and Transport for London requires operators to take account of this." Am I correct to conclude from your response that TfL has no formal procedure in place by which it monitors or risk assesses the amount of stand/recovery time provided to bus drivers in all its bus route schedules?
Answer
As per my response to your previous Mayor’s Question 2024/0177, maximum driving time and minimum break times are determined by the appropriate National Regulations which all bus operators must adhere to. Stand time is not classified as part of a driver’s break – and therefore not subject to the above Regulations – but local agreements between employers (operators) and their staff do cover a wider range of scheduling protocols.
The appropriate level of stand/recovery time will vary by factors such as route, location and traffic conditions. Operators proactively work alongside their Trade Unions to improve schedules to reflect the operating environment and to ensure that adequate time is allocated to rest and reliefs.
Service Controllers are trained to ensure that, whilst considering providing a smooth and even service for customers, they also consider the welfare of drivers as part of any service control measures.
On this page
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| Question | Reference | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bus Driver Fatigue: Commuting Mode of London Bus Drivers | 2022/4174 | 17 November 2022 |
| Bus Driver Fatigue: Fatigue Compliance Audits and Assurance Exercises | 2023/0910 | 23 February 2023 |
| Stand time for bus drivers | 2019/17307 | 12 September 2019 |
| Bus Driver Fatigue: University of Surrey independent review of Fatigue Risk Assessment Tools | 2023/0911 | 23 February 2023 |
| Loughborough University Study of Bus Driver Fatigue: Unite the Union’s “work" | 2019/17464 | 12 September 2019 |
| Bus Driver Fatigue: Rest Day Working and Bus Safety Incidents | 2023/0930 | 23 February 2023 |
| Fatigued Bus Drivers | 2017/3548 | 14 September 2017 |
| Bus driver fatigue | 2020/0681 | 24 February 2020 |
| Bus Driver Fatigue | 2020/0323 | 16 January 2020 |
| Calculation on Bus Driver “Rest Time” | 2020/0745 | 24 February 2020 |