Installing air con for all London buses 'going to be hard,' admits Khan

At last week’s Mayor’s Question Time event Khan said that installing air con in driver cabs would be “the biggest transformation of a bus fleet ever undertaken”, reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter

Sadiq Khan at last week's Mayor's Question Time — Sadiq Khan at last week’s Mayor’s Question Time

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan was last week unable to guarantee he can meet a recent promise to install air conditioning in all bus driver cabins by next summer.

Earlier this month City Hall, Transport for London (TfL) and trade union Unite reached a deal to ensure that every driver’s cab not meeting the current standard will be retrofitted by the end of May 2027. It is estimated that almost 90% of the current fleet will need adjusting.

It follows years of campaigning from bus drivers, who have previously gone on strike over unbearable conditions which have seen cabin temperatures exceed 40 degrees.

Cabs will also be fitted with UV protective film to reduce the risk of skin cancer under the deal.

However, just over a week after the announcement, Khan admitted that the initiative would be “hard” to do within the agreed timeframe.

Green Party assembly member Caroline Russell told the mayor that there are 8,982 buses in London and “around 8,000, or just over, of them need retrofitting” before asking him to double down on his May 2027 pledge.

“Bus drivers play a vital role in keeping London moving and are essential to delivering a safe, reliable and accessible bus network,” Khan said.

“This summer has put a spotlight on the need to combat rising temperatures, both for drivers and customers. Following a request from Unite, we established an extreme weather task force with TfL, bus operators and the GLA.

“Last week, TfL, Unite and I agreed to install modern air conditioning in all drivers’ cabs by next summer, with enhanced air conditioning standards already being rolled out across London’s bus fleet.”

Asked if he could guarantee that the May 2027 deadline would be met, however, Khan said: “It’s going to be hard. Unite have been really assiduous in giving us examples of some of the conditions that bus drivers are working under.

“This would be the biggest transformation of a bus fleet ever undertaken. I’m determined to get there by the end of May. We owe it to our bus drivers to do that.”

Khan was also asked about improving access to toilet facilities for bus drivers, some of whom operate routes without a bathroom at either end.

He claimed he asked TfL officials to “accelerate the rollout of new facilities” on these specific lines and said “further significant investment is planned for this year”.

“It’s unacceptable that bus drivers are having to think about going for a wee when they should be thinking about driving,” he added.

One quick-fix solution that some campaigners have asked for in the interim is for bus drivers to be allowed to use staff toilets at TfL-run stations across the capital.

The mayor said he would look into cases where this wasn’t happening at the moment, adding: “We’ll make sure of that – of course, they are part of the transport family.”

Russell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Distracted driving is a known safety risk, so it is urgent the mayor tackles causes of distraction like sweltering in an overheated bus driver’s cab or worrying about finding a toilet.

“I’m glad TfL has listened to the demands of workers by committing to install air conditioning in all bus cabs by next summer and that the mayor has agreed to look into the proposal for bus drivers to use staff toilets at TfL stations. It’s a simple and practical solution.

“I first raised the issue of toilets for bus drivers almost ten years ago. It shouldn’t have taken this long, but I hope the mayor’s commitment to look into this means we can finally get it sorted.”

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