London bus drivers say they are being forced to hunt for toilets during their shifts, with some claiming the lack of facilities is affecting their health and wellbeing, as Highways News reported last week.

An ITV News London Freedom of Information investigation has found that toilet provision across the capital’s bus network is worse than many passengers might expect, with some routes lacking facilities at either end of the journey and others relying on a single toilet despite lengthy round-trip times. Drivers have told us that driving routes in the early hours and late at night often mean they don’t have access to a toilet at all.

Transport for London says bus drivers have access to a toilet at at least one terminus on every route, and that routes with a toilet at only one end should have a maximum round-trip time of 150 minutes.

The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, said that the lack of toilet provision for London’s bus drivers is ‘unacceptable’.

A TfL spokesperson said: 

“We take driver welfare seriously and it’s vital that bus drivers are able to access toilet facilities while working. There is ongoing work on a range of measures to improve health and wellbeing for bus drivers, as well as providing safe and usable welfare facilities for our staff to use during their breaks. In the past eight years, 154 locations have either been refurbished or had a brand new toilet installed. The vast majority of routes have suitable toilet facilities at their termini and we are determined to improve provision where possible.”

(Picture: Paul Hutton/Highways News)