Six routes are classed as TfL’s highest priority, while a toilet at one end is considered sufficient on routes with round trips of less than 150 minutes
TfL is to build 53 new toilets for London bus drivers over the next three years as part of a new programme to improve welfare facilities across the capital.
Six routes are now classed in TfL’s highest-priority category for toilet provision, where there is no suitable access at either end.
They are the 353, 386, 464, N55, N136 and N551.
The N551 has recently been added to the list after TfL said it had previously understood drivers on the route had access to a toilet, but that information had since changed.
All six routes have been included in TfL’s capital programme, with feasibility and design work under way.
A further £6 million is set to be invested in bus driver welfare facilities during the current financial year.
The transport authority said £24.5 million had been spent on facilities including toilets and mess rooms since Sadiq Khan became Mayor, while 154 locations had either been refurbished or received a new toilet over the past eight years.
The latest figure is one higher than that previously published by City Hall.
In June, City Hall said there were five routes in TfL’s Priority 1 category, alongside 15 Priority 2 routes where toilets were not available throughout all operating hours and 43 Priority 3 routes where journeys exceeded 150 minutes but there was a toilet at only one end.
A further 10 routes have toilets at their termini which may not be accessible throughout all the hours they operate.
But the six Priority 1 routes do not represent every London bus route without dedicated toilet facilities at both ends.
Under criteria agreed with bus operators and Unite, a toilet at one end is considered sufficient where a route has a round trip of less than 150 minutes.
Routes with round trips of more than 150 minutes are prioritised for facilities at both ends.
City Hall said in 2022 that 176 routes, around a quarter of the network at the time, had a toilet at only one end.
When the issue was raised again last year, City Hall said the majority of those routes had round trips of less than 150 minutes and therefore did not meet the criteria for further priority investment.
Toilet provision does not necessarily mean a dedicated facility built for bus drivers.
TfL also counts arrangements for drivers to use facilities at Underground and rail stations, as well as toilets in places such as cafes, restaurants, petrol stations and offices.
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Its Bus Driver Facilities Guide shows that access can also depend on arrangements with other organisations.
On the D7, the guide lists a shared toilet at Mile End Underground station as available around the clock, but records reports from the operator that drivers have been refused access by gateline staff.
At the other end of the route at Poplar, All Saints, the guide records no toilet facility at the stand.
The issue has come under increased scrutiny following an ITV News London investigation into working conditions for bus drivers.
Drivers told ITV earlier this year that a lack of suitable facilities had led some to use bottles or jars, while others described deliberately limiting how much they drank while working.
In July, TfL Director of Buses Lorna Murphy told ITV News London there were five routes without access to a dedicated toilet, although she said alternative facilities such as shops and restaurants were available.
The figure has since risen to six following the addition of the N551.
Image: London Bus Forums
Bus drivers also staged a rally outside TfL’s headquarters in August calling for a Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights, which includes serviced toilet facilities, proper rest breaks and functioning heating and air conditioning.
The demonstration was organised independently by bus drivers rather than by a trade union.
Carl Eddleston, TfL’s Director of Streets and Network Operations, said: “Drivers rightly expect to have the facilities they need to carry out their roles safely and comfortably.”
He said TfL would continue working with operators, drivers and trade unions to improve working conditions across the bus network.
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