More bus safety standards planned to stop deaths

A series of safety improvements on London's buses has been announced by Transport for London (TfL) as part of a plan to ensure that no one is killed on, or by a bus, by 2030.

It comes as figures in March revealed that the number of London buses damaged in crashes and collisions was rising.

Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, said the standards would help protect passengers, bus drivers and other road users.

The measures include interior changes to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls, better lighting, clearer safety messaging and tip seats that fold upright when not in use.

It's the second phase of TfL's Bus Safety Standard (BSS), and applies to buses entering service up to 2033.

TfL said there would also be accessibility improvements including better communication between wheelchair users and drivers, and enhanced audio for ramp deployment.

It will also introduce a new system that will prevent the bus from moving-off if a pedestrian or cyclist is immediately in front of the bus, as well as visual, audio and touch alerts for driver fatigue, TfL said.

Data released following a Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request earlier this year showed that there were 15,390 incidents leading to bus damage in 2025 and nearly 16,000 in 2024.

In 2025, 10 people were killed in collisions involving a bus.

TfL said that although no death was acceptable on London's roads, it was the lowest number since 2021.

Sir Sadiq said: "I'm proud that we are making real progress in eliminating death and serious injury from the network. But we must go further and faster to eliminate this heartbreak across the capital."

Lorna Murphy, TfL's director of buses, said the organisation was determined to meet its goal of eliminating death and serious injury across all forms of transport by 2041.

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