London Bus Drivers Can Report Complaints

06 January 2016 | Stephen Morris | News

‘Victory for safety’: London buses on Oxford Street

Bus drivers across London now have the reassurance that they can raise safety concerns without risking their jobs. This development represents a major step forward in improving road safety for both staff and passengers.

Implementation of CIRAS Across All London Bus Operators

From this week, every London bus operator gains direct access to CIRAS (Confidential Incident Reporting & Analysis System), providing an independent channel for reporting potentially unsafe practices. Whistleblowers can now come forward confidently, knowing their concerns will be investigated without fear of dismissal.

Recent Increase in Bus-Related Fatalities

Last year saw the highest number of bus-related deaths on London’s roads since 2012. The very first tragedy of 2016 occurred just four days into the new year, when a woman in her 40s died at the scene of a collision with a double-decker 472 Stagecoach bus in John Harrison Way.

Female pedestrian dies after being hit by a bus in Greenwich

Campaigners’ Two-Year Fight for Whistleblowing Protections

Activist Tom Kearney, who survived a bus crash in 2009, called the rollout of CIRAS a “huge victory for danger reduction.” He revealed that many anonymous bus drivers have long feared raising concerns about erratic shifts and driver fatigue.

By exposing Transport for London (TfL) bus operations to independent safety reporting, CIRAS is set to strengthen safety standards across the network.

Support from TfL Leadership

When announcing the system’s extension, TfL’s buses chief Mike Weston stated: “The bus network is extremely safe, but we are always looking for ways to make it even safer. The extension of CIRAS will mean employees have an additional way of reporting concerns, and provides a corporate safety net to help further improve safety in the future.”

Looking Ahead

Train drivers in London have benefited from CIRAS since 1999. TfL has pledged to cooperate fully with Scotland Yard’s investigation into the recent fatality; the bus driver involved was not arrested following the collision.