Bus drivers 'no longer required to sweat it out'

Air conditioning will be fitted in some London buses in what the Unite union described as a "ground-breaking victory" for drivers for Arriva London North.

Drivers based at Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green took industrial action last month over hot weather working conditions.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the deal meant "drivers will no longer be expected to carry on and sweat it out".

The agreement also limits the duration drivers must endure broken heating or cooling systems to 35 minutes before the bus is stopped and returned to the garage.

Arriva and Transport for London have confirmed the air conditioning will be fitted by May 2027.

The agreement also stipulates that any vehicle with a defect on the cooling/heating system must be repaired before returning to service, and not reallocated to another driver.

This 35-minute rule will also apply to cold weather working, where previously drivers needed to be out for at least an hour. The agreement means that for electric vehicles the 35 minutes will not be required as systems should be effective within a few minutes.

Strikes due to start again from today (7 September) have been called off following the negotiations between Unite and Arriva.

During London's recent heatwaves, some drivers claimed temperatures in their cabs soared up to 50C.

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