WEU Writes Letter to London Mayor on Toilets

Dear Member,

The Workers of England Union believes that an appropriate number of toilet facilities should be available on all bus routes. The current lack of toilet facilities for bus drivers is simply unacceptable. We urge bus companies to make providing access to toilets a top priority.

We also believe that the Mayor of London should require bus companies to review their route-based facilities immediately. That is not a lot to ask, is it?

We have written to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to support our campaign. Read the full letter and please share it with your colleagues.

Our Communications with the Mayor’s Office

Sadiq Khan’s office confirmed receipt of our letter on 9 August 2016. We followed up on 12, 18 and 23 August 2016 to request a formal response. Initially, on 23 August, we were told the Mayor would only forward our letter to TfL. We made it clear that passing responsibility does not meet our drivers’ needs—especially given the Mayor also chairs TfL.

After detailed discussions, the Mayor’s office has now assured us via email that we will receive a response as soon as possible. We will keep you updated on any developments.

Open Letter to the Mayor of London

Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London
Greater London Authority
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk
More London, London SE1 2AA

Dear Mr Khan,

As the newly appointed Mayor of London, I would like to highlight that bus companies serving commuters in London are not providing adequate toilet facilities for their drivers. Many routes lack any facilities, which can leave drivers in a desperate situation—especially female drivers.

Despite being a modern, global capital, London remains shockingly behind in basic workplace amenities. We ask you, as Mayor, to ensure immediate action so that all bus routes include suitable toilet facilities. After all, London is the capital of the world’s 5th-largest economy and should be a leader in public transport standards.

Examples of key locations with no available toilets at night include Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, Aldwych, Holborn, and Red Lion Square. These are only a few of the many problematic stops.

We request that you direct bus companies to:

• Review the availability of toilets on every route
• Assess and adjust the timing of driver breaks

The Workers of England Union is ready to monitor these reviews and would appreciate a meeting with you to discuss our concerns before we launch an online petition for proper toilet availability on all bus routes.

Yours sincerely,
Eddie Bone
Campaign Director
Workers of England Union

To follow updates on this campaign, read our detailed news article on the lack of toilet facilities for bus drivers.