TfL contracted bus operator’s responses to faulty bus blind issues by Ref: 15337992 on 23 December 2020 and Ref: 15429909 on 22 January 2021
Request ID: FOI-1177-2122 Date published: 28 September 2021
You asked
Some TfL buses run the service with faulty blinds. TfL asked the bus operator to clarify when those blinds will be replaced by Ref: xxxx on 23 December 2020, and later by Ref: xxxx on 22 January 2021.
Would you provide the bus operator’s responses at that time with the timescales they clarified to resolve the issues? Thank you!
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1177-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 2nd September 2021 asking for information about faulty bus blinds.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“Some TfL buses run the service with faulty blinds. TfL asked the bus operator to clarify when those blinds will be replaced by Ref: xxxx on 23 December 2020, and later by Ref: xxxx on 22 January 2021. Would you provide the bus operator’s responses at that time with the timescales they clarified to resolve the issues.”
Note that buses in London are operated by private companies under contract with TfL, and it is for those operators to manage these issues directly with their suppliers.
We received case ref xxxx on 4th November 2020. This was passed to Arriva who commented on 3rd December 2020 to say that “All vehicle identification has been passed on as appropriate with a request that blinds be checked”. A response was then sent to you by TfL on 23rd December 2020.
Case ref xxxx was your response to our email of 23rd December 2020. As the complaint was similar to xxxxwe did not share it with Arriva but did inform the TfL Performance team. A response to that complaint was sent to you on 22nd Jan 2021.
I understand that there has been subsequent correspondence on the same issue and we have had further comment from Arriva. For example, the most recent comment we have had from Arriva was on 3rd September 2020 as follows:
“I can advise that xxxx has been in contact with TfL for a year or more now. At the time there was a London-wide shortage of blinds due to the shut down of the manufacturer, (McKenna Brothers), during lock-down. This problem affected all TfL contractors and the point was made to TfL Customer Services with a request it be passed on to xxxx, which I believe it was.
An audit was carried out on the blinds of buses based at our Wood Green Garage in early December 2020 off the back of the sheer volume of complaints from xxxx including the one about which you have contacted us now, (xxxx). This was done in two phases – the DW (diesel) buses first as it was always these about which he was complaining. I believe that three were found to be faulty – one was awaiting parts for rectification; one was being rectified the following day on rota inspection known about and the third was reported the day of the audit. A similar audit was carried out at a slightly later date for the HV (hybrid) buses at xxxxxx’s request to ensure that the whole garage allocation had been reviewed.
It cannot be overlooked that a lot of the problems with the blinds stemmed from the shut-down of McKenna Brothers during the first lock down and that we are now well on top of the issue.”
Note that we have also been advised by Arriva that following the initial complaints about faulty blinds and their response to these, you sent Arriva pictures of buses with faulty blinds. On many occasions the buses in the pictures could not be identified but for those that could it seems that the driver had forgotten to reset the front blind at the start of the current journey such that it was showing the originating point rather than the destination. Where buses could be identified the comments were sent to the Staff Manager for the garage so that the driver could be reminded of the need to ensure they were showing correct information, and/or the Engineering Manager for the bus to be checked.
If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
