TfL Ref: 2083-1819

Thank you for your email received by us on 9 November 2018 asking for information about complaints received about bus drivers and conductors during 2014 - 2016 and 2018 to date

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked for:

data on the complaints received by TfL from members of the public about the behaviour of drivers and conductors on all London bus routes, or failing that, the closest matching category of complaints that is being tracked.

Please provide for the years 2014 - 2016 as well as 2018 to date:
* The total number of such complaints for each year
* The total number of complaints for each year broken down by bus operating company (e.g. Stagecoach, Go Ahead, et al)

The London Buses network has around 26,000 bus drivers, with more than six million bus journeys made every weekday and more than two billion bus passenger trips each year in the capital.
All complaints reported to us about bus drivers are passed on to the private operators who employ them so that they can be followed up with fact-finding interviews and further investigation where necessary. If drivers are found to have acted with gross misconduct, they will be dismissed. As with any investigation, the complaint must also be proven for action to be taken against drivers. We also undertake independent monitoring of driver performance to assure ourselves that the standard of technical driving remains high. From the customer perspective, we also conduct Mystery Traveller and Customer Experience surveys to assure ourselves that the service given is to the standard expected. Where significant issues are found, these are referred to the bus operators for investigation. So there are a number of safe guards to ensure drivers adhere to the professional standards expected.
There is a strong focus in bus driving training to improve safety and the customer experience offered to the public. We expect the highest standards of London bus drivers and where there is evidence of poor driving from routine checks of vehicles in service or following an incident such as a police accident investigation, the bus operators will independently follow these through with internal inquiries and disciplinary proceedings, with the ultimately sanction of driver dismissal. Like any other motorist on the public highway, drivers will be at risk of losing their licence and work if prosecuted by the courts for dangerous driving.
Please see the attached table for the requested information extracted from our correspondence databases for the calendar years of 2014, 2015 and 2016. 2018 is based on the financial year of 1 April to 10 November 2018, following the implementation of a new reporting database. The overlap of some bus operating companies are due to the reporting systems used.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, 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

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London