Full list of all 42 London bus routes affected by heatwave strikes this weekend

London bus drivers are planning to walk out over unbearable conditions on some services (Picture: Reuters)

Passengers have been warned of major disruption to bus journeys today and tomorrow as drivers walk out amid a heatwave row.

Services in north London and Essex have been thrown into chaos as Arriva drivers go on strike, affecting dozens of routes across the Transport for London (TfL) network.

Unite the union announced the drivers’ strike last week after a row over working conditions in hot weather, which has gripped the capital throughout the summer.

The union, which represents thousands of bus drivers, accused Arriva North London – a TfL contractor – of failing to act on complaints about conditions.

Bus routes across north and central London will be affected by strike action. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The strike began today at 4am and will continue until 4.30am tomorrow morning, affecting ordinary bus routes as well as night buses and Superloop services.

Additional strike dates have been announced between now and October, but which routes are affected?

Every route affected in London bus strikes

A total of 42 routes are affected by the strikes, including two Superloop routes and four night bus services running into Saturday morning.

The affected bus garages involved in the strike action include Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green.

These are all of the affected routes:

19 – Between Finsbury Park and Battersea Bridge 29 – Between Wood Green and Trafalgar Square 34 – Between Walthamstow and Barnet 41 – Between Tottenham Hale and Archway 66 – Between Leytonstone and Romford 67 – Between Wood Green and Dalston 76 – Between Tottenham Hale and Waterloo 102 – Between Edmonton Green and Brent Cross 121 – Between Turnpike Lane and Enfield Island Village 141 – Between Palmers Green and London Bridge 149 – Between Edmonton Green and London Bridge 150 – Between Chigwell and Becontree 158 – Between Chingford and Stratford 175 – Between Dagenham and North Romford 191 – Between Edmonton Green and Brimsdown 192 – Between Enfield and Tottenham Hale 217 – Between Waltham Cross and Turnpike Lane 221 – Between Edgware and Turnpike Lane 243 – Between Wood Green and Waterloo 248 – Between Cranham and Romford Market 254 – Between Holloway and Aldgate 259 – Between Edmonton Green and King’s Cross 279 – Between Waltham Cross and Manor House 307 – Between Barnet Hospital and Brimsdown 313 – Between Potters Bar and Chingford 329 – Between Enfield and Wood Green 341 – Between Meridian Water and Waterloo 349 – Between Ponders End and Stamford Hill 370 – Between Romford and Lakeside 375 – Between Romford and Passingford Bridge 377 – Between Oakwood and Ponders End 616 – Between Edmonton Green and Winchmore Hill 675 – Between Walthamstow and Woodford Green SL1 – Between Walthamstow and North Finchley SL2 – Between Walthamstow and North Woolwich W3 – Between Northumberland Park and Finsbury Park W4 – Between Tottenham Hale and Oakthorpe Park W6 – Between Edmonton Green and Southgate N19 – Between Finsbury Park and Clapham Junction N29 – Between Enfield and Trafalgar Square N41 – Between Tottenham Hale and Trafalgar Square N279 – Between Waltham Cross and Trafalgar Square

TfL has warned that ‘little or no service’ is expected on the above routes, and that other local bus routes, Tube and rail services may be busier than usual.

Why are bus drivers striking?

London has been battling heatwave conditions on and off throughout the spring andsummer(Picture: Guy Bell/Shutterstock)

The dispute boils down to the conditions inside buses, many of which have reached extreme temperatures for passengers and drivers alike during back-to-back heatwaves.

Hot weather conditions can increase fatigue for drivers, some of whom have experienced heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration this summer, Unite said.

Some drivers suffered heat stroke and dehydration while working during the recent heatwaves, which saw temperatures hover close to 40C.

Arriva insists it is investing in both short and long-term measures to help drivers, including cab upgrades and air conditioning.

Most London buses are fitted with air cooling rather than more effective air conditioning systems.

Bus drivers in the capital have suffered from heat stroke and dehydration due to the recent heatwaves. (Credits: TOLGA AKMEN/EPA/Shutterstock)

Unite said the cooling system only reduces the temperature by a couple of degrees, and cab temperatures reached 40 degrees during the latest hot spells.

The London mayor Sadiq Khan has said drivers should not be working in conditions that are too hot or unsafe.

Speaking to LBC in June, he said: ‘Let me speak directly to bus drivers – if your cabin is too hot, I’ve given TFL permission, and told the bus operators, you must not be driving that bus.’

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Time and time again drivers have complained to Arriva North London about working in dangerous conditions but the company has failed to act which is completely unacceptable.

‘A profitable company such as Arriva could easily invest in improving conditions for its drivers and protecting the general public but is instead prioritising greed. We will back our members all the way in this dispute.’

Fatigued bus drivers have raised the alarm over a ‘dangerous’ epidemic behind the wheel, citing shift patterns and pressure.

What has Arriva said?

Wasim Mohammed, Arriva London managing director, told Metro: ‘We take the welfare of our drivers seriously and understand the impact of this extreme weather on them.

‘We are working closely with Transport for London to support both our colleagues and customers during these hot spells. We’ve introduced short-term measures to protect drivers, and we’re investing in longer-term fixes, including cab air conditioning upgrades and our ongoing investment in new fleet.

‘We remain ready to sit down with Unite at any time to discuss these important issues and find a resolution that avoids both strike action and the disruption it would cause to customers.’

A spokesperson for TfL said the strike action is expected to hit local bus routes in north and some central London areas.

However, the majority of the capital’s bus network will operate as planned on the strike days, they said.

Some routes could be busier than usual and passengers should plan ahead and allow extra time for journeys.

‘We encourage both parties to find a solution to this dispute and we’re sorry for any disruption to people’s journeys,’ TfL added.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Comments Add as preferred source