Advice to bus passengers ahead of planned bus strike

10 February 2015
Advice to bus passengers ahead of planned 24-hour strike by Unite members on Friday 13 February

Transport for London (TfL) is advising bus passengers to check the TfL website for the latest information ahead of planned strike action by members of the Unite the union (Unite), who work for London's bus companies, which is due to affect bus services on Friday (13 February) and Monday 16 February.

The strike - the result of a dispute between Unite and the bus companies over driver pay and conditions - will affect services from around 4am on Friday 13 February and also night bus services operating on the Friday night into Saturday morning. Bus services over the weekend will be unaffected and will operate as normal.

All of TfL's other public transport services will be operating as normal should the planned action go ahead.

Mike Weston, TfL's Director of Buses, said: `I am very sorry that the leadership of Unite again seems intent on disrupting the journeys of bus passengers and losing bus drivers even more pay. We urge Unite to call off the strikes and instead meet with the bus companies individually to resolve their differences.

`Only 16 per cent of bus drivers voted for strike action and many more buses ran last week compared to January's strike.

`Bus driver rates of pay have been negotiated and agreed between Unite and the bus companies individually under a long-standing and jointly agreed process. This process has been in place for more than 20 years and has regularly resulted in pay rises above the rate of inflation.

`As in all professions, bus drivers have different levels of experience and it is only right that this can be reflected in pay. A 'levelling up' of pay to the highest rates would result in higher fares and cuts to bus services for passengers and fewer jobs for bus drivers.'

During the bus strike passengers will be kept informed of the status of their services in a range of ways, including:

  • Up-to-date information on bus services by route at www.tfl.gov.uk/campaign/bus-strike
  • Check for bus arrival times using the Countdown next bus arrival service online, on their mobile devices or via our SMS text service;
  • A range of easily available Apps for handheld devices use TfL's live bus information;
  • Travel alerts will be provided through Twitter on @TfL and @TfLBusAlerts - look out for #BusStrike;
  • TfL will be providing information to radio and television broadcasts for use in news bulletins;
  • TfL will also have a number of additional staff across the network and at key locations to provide advice to passengers.

Where services are disrupted TfL urges passengers to use other transport options, or to walk or cycle where possible. The average bus journey is around 2.2 miles so many of these journeys could be made in this way.

To help people get around TfL will be:

Operating a good service across the Tube network;

  • Full services are also operating on the Docklands Light Railway, London Tramlink and London Overground networks;
  • Barclays Cycle Hire, with 10,000 bikes at over 700 docking stations, will continue to be available although demand is likely to be high - additional staff will be in place to re-distribute cycles to where they are needed most, along with additional bikes and docking point availability at Walworth Road, Wellington Street and Butler Place docking stations;
  • Londoners who own a bike are encouraged to cycle to work, and a Cycle Journey Planner is provided at www.tfl.gov.uk/cycling;
  • Taxi Marshals will be deployed at key taxi ranks to assist passengers and encourage taxi sharing;
  • MBNA Thames Clippers will operate additional services on RB1 River Bus services, that operate between Woolwich and Embankment pier, during the morning (06:00-10:00) and evening peak (16:00-19:00);
  • TfL has also emailed registered bus users, who regularly travel on affected routes, advising them of the likely disruption and urging them to check before they travel.

Ends

Notes to Editors

The bus companies likely to be affected by the bus strike are:

  • Abellio (Abellio London and Abellio West London)
  • Arriva (Arriva North and Arriva South)
  • CT Plus (Hackney Community Transport)
  • Go Ahead (Blue Triangle, Docklands, London General, London Central, Metrobus)
  • London Sovereign
  • London United
  • Metroline (Metroline and Metroline West)
  • Stagecoach (East London Bus & Coach Company, Selkent)
  • Tower Transit.

* The following ticket acceptance arrangements will apply:

  • Bus & Tram Pass season ticket, 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard or 16+ Zip Oyster photocard with free bus & tram travel will be accepted on Tube, DLR and London Overground services on reasonable routes only
  • Passengers should show their Oyster card to a member of staff and ask to be let through the gates. Customers should not touch in or out as they will be charged a pay as you go, which will not be refunded
  • Bus & Tram Pass season tickets will also be accepted on MBNA Thames Clippers RB1 River Bus service between 06:00-10:00 and 16:00-19:00
  • Bus & Tram Pass season tickets will not be accepted on National Rail services or the Emirates Air Line
  • One Day Bus & Tram Passes will not be accepted on any alternative services and refunds will not be given
  • Pay as you go users will be charged the appropriate fare for the journey for the service(s) and zones used and these fares will not be refunded. Find out pay as you go fares.

A number of bus routes are not affected by the strike and should run a normal service:

  • 66 - Romford Station to Leytonstone bus station
  • 142 - Watford Junction to Brent Cross Shopping Centre
  • 160 - Catford to Sidcup Station
  • 258 - Watford Junction to South Harrow Station
  • 268 - Golders Green Station to Finchley Road
  • 288 - Queensbury to Broadfields Estate
  • 298 - Arnos Grove to Potters Bar
  • 303 - Edgware Station to Colindale
  • 305 - Edgware Station to Kingsbury Circle
  • 340 - Edgware Station to Harrow Bus Station
  • 346 - Upminster Station to Upminster Park Estate
  • 370 - Romford to Lakeside Shopping Centre
  • 375 - Romford Station to Passingford Bridge
  • 404 - Coulsdon to Caterham-on-the-Hill
  • 406 - Kingston to Epsom
  • 411 - Kingston to West Molsey
  • 418 - Kingston to Epsom
  • 428 - Erith to Bluewater Shopping Centre
  • 463 - Coulsdon South Station to Pollards Hill
  • 465 - Kingston to Dorking
  • 467 - Hook to Epsom
  • 470 - Colliers Wood Station to Epsom
  • 492 - Sidcup Station to Bluewater Shopping Centre
  • 499 - Gallows Corner to Heath Park Estate
  • 626 - Finchley Central Station to Potters Bar
  • 628 - Kingsbury to Southgate Station
  • 631 - Golders Green Station to Henrietta Barnett School
  • 641 - West Molesey to Teddington School
  • 642 - West Hendon Broadway/Edgware Station to London Academy
  • 653 - Muswell Hill Broadway to Kingsbury
  • 683 - Friern Barnet to Kingsbury
  • 88 - Southgate Station to Kingsbury
  • B12 - Erith to Joydens Wood
  • B13 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to New Eltham Station
  • B15 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to Horn Park
  • E10 - Northolt to Ealing Broadway Station
  • H2 - Golders Green Station circular (via Hampstead Garden Suburb)
  • H3 - Golders Green Station to East Finchley, Hilltop
  • H18 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Pinner & Wealdstone)
  • H19 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Wealdstone & Pinner)
  • K5 - Ham to Morden Station
  • S1 - Banstead to Lavender Fields
  • S3 - Sutton Hospital to Malden Manor Station
  • X26 - West Croydon to Heathrow Airport