Mayor provides £6m to improve toilet facilities for bus drivers only

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced plans for a further improvement of working conditions for London’s bus drivers by ensuring that all have access to a toilet on their routes for all hours of their working day. The Mayor plans to allocate £6m of funding to deliver permanent toilets for the capital’s bus drivers along 40 routes which currently only have limited access or opening hours. A lack of toilet access can be a significant health issue for both bus and taxi drivers and who can spend hours behind the wheel. Since his election Sadiq has been working hard alongside unions and bus operators to resolve the lack of facilities left behind by the previous Mayor. It however looks like taxi drivers have missed out on this opportunity and will continue to put their health at risk. 

Sadiq has already ensured that temporary toilets – such as an arrangement with a local café or shop for drivers to use their facilities - were installed on all routes that didn’t have one. This new funding will allow for the installation of permanent toilets at the end of each of these 40 routes – removing the worry and potential distraction for drivers of not knowing where they will be able to stop. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It can’t be right that a bus driver can be stuck behind the wheel and not know where they can access a toilet. These men and women work hard keeping London moving at all hours so it’s vital that they are given the dignity of having access to a rest stop when they need it. I’ve worked hard to ensure that our 25,000 bus drivers are given a fair pay deal, and am now pleased that we can deliver another real improvement for the day-to-day working conditions.”