Bus drivers ‘spat on, punched at and forced to clean up vomit’ during London Tube strikes

Gridlocked traffic, packed buses and fights for Lime Bikes are not just leaving commuters stressed, with bus drivers being ‘spat at’ as they ‘take the brunt of the strikes’.

Bus drivers have been left to take the brunt of commuters’ frustrations over this week’s London Underground strikes, with reports of physical and verbal abuse.

Queues of hundreds of people long have been seen at stops as the city enters its fourth day of transport hell, and even vomit has been pictured smeared on bus windows.

‘When I have told people the bus is too full, or the journey has been diverted, they have punched the protective screen or spat at me,’ one driver told Metro.

‘The strikes are such an intense time for everyone, but we bear the brunt of it.’

Toilet breaks have also become somewhat of a luxury, and getting lunch halfway through the shift has been made difficult.

The driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘This week I have gone four hours without being able to take a toilet break.

‘Our lunch breaks are also much shorter, and we have nearly less than half the time than usual to hand over our bus to another driver and try and grab some food, before getting back behind the wheel.’

But this is nothing new for the more seasoned bus drivers who have worked during tube strikes before.

‘We are essentially the customer service of TfL,’ the driver said. ‘People see us and they take out whatever issues they have. It is the exact same every time there are strikes.’

Rosie Trew, TfL’s Head of Bus Service Delivery, said: ‘Bus drivers work hard to serve the millions of customers who use the transport network every day and continue to play a vital role in enabling Londoners to travel.

‘They have the right to go about their work without fear or intimidation and we do not tolerate any violence, aggression or threatening behaviour towards them.

‘We are committed to ensuring that all staff have breaks and access to the facilities they need to carry out their roles effectively at all times, including during busy periods on the network.

‘We would encourage any driver with concerns about this to contact their employer, their union, or the Confidential Incident Reporting & Analysis Service (CIRAS) anonymously.’

This morning, Metro saw a young man dash for a bus just as the doors closed in front of him. He knocked on the door but the crowded bus pulled out. He made one last attempt when the bus was at a red light, but the driver couldn’t let him on.

The man, from Crystal Palace, who asked not to be named, told Metro he was in a rush to get to his retail job on Oxford Street for 10am.

He said he had tried other buses already at the bays, but the queues were ‘massive.’

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