One of the UK’s largest unions has demanded an immediate change to practices regarding bus driver safety, following the second serious attack on a London driver in ten days.
Unite, which represents tens of thousands of bus drivers, made the statement following the latest incident involving a bus driver on Friday morning.
The driver was waiting at a bus stop for a changeover in Southall, west London at around 6am when he was stabbed.
It comes the week after driver Sergi Krajev died after being attacked on Battersea Bridge.
Mr Krajev was assaulted by Gary Jones, 32, on a pavement outside the bus, which had been stationary at a stop.
He was taken to hospital by air ambulance after being found critically injured on the south London crossing, but died the following day.
Mr Jones was originally charged with causing grievous bodily harm and was remanded in custody, and will attend Kingston Crown Court on June 15.
Speaking following Friday’s attack in Southall, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is another shocking attack on a bus driver. No one should go to work fearing they will be attacked.
“The Mayor of London together with TfL, the private bus operators must be brought together with Unite to develop concrete solutions to better protect London bus drivers.”
Unite believes that advice to drivers that they should remain in their cab at all times needs to be urgently revised, with it being impossible to do so in both recent cases.
The union has also called for training which is currently provided to London Underground workers on how to diffuse potentially violent situations to be extended to all London bus drivers.
Unite regional officer Nadine Edwards: “The current advice to drivers to always remain in their cabs is both flawed and impractical.
“We urgently need fresh guidance and full training for drivers to ensure that they do not put themselves in danger.”
