One in six bus drivers has fallen asleep driving at least once in the last year, a survey reveals.
And one in five (21%) “fight sleepiness” at least two or three times a week.
The report also found 36% had a “close call” on the roads due to tiredness in the past year. One in 20 (5%) had been in at least one accident in the past year because of fatigue.
Loughborough University surveyed 1,353 of London’s 25,000 bus drivers for Transport for London and concluded fatigue was “a problem”.
Researchers said factors included prolonged driving conditions, 24-hour operations and congestion.
Unite said drivers were working excessive hours due to low pay, and lacked recovery time between overly-long shifts without sufficient breaks.
The union said operators were “flogging workers to the point of exhaustion”.
TfL said it will demand all bus operators have “robust systems” to reduce the risk of fatigue by 2020.
