TfL and Unite the Union have reached a groundbreaking agreement to install air conditioning in all bus driver cabs by the end of May 2027. The agreement forms a key part of the work of the ‘Extreme Weather Taskforce’, which brings together representatives from TfL, Unite, London’s bus operators and the Greater London Authority to improve working conditions for drivers during periods of extreme weather.
The taskforce was created in response to increasingly frequent extreme weather, with a shared ambition to improve working conditions for drivers and help futureproof London’s bus network. It has established a comprehensive programme of work, focused on both immediate mitigations and longer-term solutions, reflecting the commitment of the group to work collaboratively and at pace. New buses entering the fleet are subject to much more rigorous air conditioning and ventilation standards than older vehicles, which were purchased when the extreme heat seen this summer was less frequent.
The taskforce has been working to understand how best to retrofit older buses with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems more widely across the bus fleet. The taskforce has agreed plans to retrofit all bus driver cabins that do not currently meet the latest modern specifications by the end of May 2027. nificant progress has already been made with the successful retrofitting of the driver’s cab of a New Routemaster bus with the latest modern ventilation and air conditioning.
The bus is currently being trialled in service with encouraging feedback from drivers. The vehicle has also been tested in formal laboratory conditions to test its performance under extreme heat conditions. The trial is central to informing howmodern specifications could be delivered across other bus types in London’s fleet. A second New Routemaster bus has also been retrofitted with a different system of the same upgraded specification, so that a robust supply chain can be established that can meet the demands of retrofitting the drivers’ cabs of London’s bus fleet. Further testing and assessment work is underway across all other vehicle types that do not have modern ventilation and air conditioning systems.
(Picture: Yay Images)
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