London’s iconic red buses, a symbol of the city’s bustling life and daily routine, are facing an unexpected and deeply unsettling crisis: a surge of cockroach infestations that has left drivers and campaigners demanding urgent action from Transport for London (TfL). Recent reports, images, and videos shared by the London Bus Forums and corroborated by several major news outlets have revealed that cockroaches are not only lurking between seat upholstery and floor panels but have also invaded drivers’ rest areas and even their food and drinks.
On October 13, 2025, the situation reached a boiling point as bus drivers across multiple routes, including the 159, 345, and 55, sounded the alarm about persistent infestations. According to the London Bus Forum, staff identified specific buses, notably the LT160 on route 159, as being repeatedly plagued by cockroaches. Images and videos circulated online show the insects crawling beneath seat cushions, inside fabric seams, and even inside drivers’ food containers. In one particularly harrowing incident, a driver on the 159 route between Streatham and Oxford Circus discovered a cockroach in their drink during a break. “I went to take a sip from my drink and felt something in my mouth,” the driver recounted. “I spat it out and saw it was a cockroach. I felt sick and ended up vomiting.”
This was not an isolated event. The bus involved, LT160, had reportedly been flagged multiple times for pest issues, yet despite repeated complaints and engineering checks, it continued to be returned to service. “They keep putting it back on the road and telling us it’s fit for service,” the driver told the London Bus Forum. Such stories have become all too common, with photos and videos posted by drivers showing cockroaches hiding in various nooks and crannies of the vehicles and rest facilities. On October 8, 2025, a video surfaced showing cockroaches in a driver’s food container in the rest area, further fueling concerns about the extent of the problem.
The response from drivers and campaigners has been swift and vocal. Kevin Mustafa, a London bus safety campaigner, told the BBC, “The current state is untenable for drivers who already face demanding working conditions. Swift, transparent and decisive action will go a long way toward restoring trust, ensuring safety, and maintaining public confidence in London’s bus services.” Mustafa emphasized that this is not a matter of occasional nuisance: “London bus drivers are reporting persistent issues with cockroaches and unsanitary conditions onboard their vehicles. This is not a matter of occasional nuisance—many drivers describe infestations, and the situation is starting to pose real health, safety and wellbeing risks.”
Campaigners and drivers have called for a comprehensive overhaul of cleaning and pest-control protocols. Their demands include more frequent deep cleaning of all buses, the use of insecticidal and heat treatments, improved vacuuming, and the installation of sealed barriers in known hotspots. The London Bus Forums group was unequivocal in its assessment: “These cockroach reports are not isolated. They reflect a broader failure to maintain safe and sanitary conditions for bus drivers. This is a public health issue affecting both staff and passengers. That’s why drivers will be marching on 5 November to demand safer working conditions and the adoption of the Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights.”
The proposed Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights is ambitious. It calls for drivers to be guaranteed a “safe work schedule without any forced overtime or loss of pay,” as well as the right to clean, serviced toilet and rest facilities on all routes. It also seeks protection for drivers who report safety concerns, ensuring they can do so without fear of retribution from TfL or private employers. These demands are not made lightly; they arise from a sense of growing frustration and concern over what many see as systemic neglect of basic health and safety standards.
London’s bus network is vast. The capital boasts 675 bus routes served by over 8,700 buses, most of which are operated by private companies under contract to TfL. On any given day, about five million journeys are made on these buses. With such a massive operation, maintaining high standards of cleanliness and safety is no small feat. However, drivers and campaigners argue that the current cleaning protocols are simply not enough to address the scale of the infestation crisis.
Transport for London, for its part, insists that it is taking the issue seriously. A TfL spokesperson told the BBC and other news organizations, “We are committed to working together with operators to provide a clean environment for staff and customers. Most TfL welfare facilities are cleaned multiple times a day, and at a minimum daily, to maintain hygiene and safety standards. All buses are also cleaned every night before entering service and reports such as these are rare. We take any report seriously and are urgently investigating the specific incidents that have been raised. As with any reports, we will take appropriate action as part of the investigation, which can include taking buses out of service for inspection, deep cleans and treatment with specialist equipment if necessary.”
TfL also sought to reassure drivers and staff that there would be no retaliation for raising health and safety concerns. “We would like to reassure staff that our operators would never take action against people raising concerns about welfare or safety and encourage any driver with concerns to contact their employer, their union, or contact us directly.”
Despite these assurances, many drivers remain unconvinced. The fact that buses like the LT160 continue to be returned to service after passing standard engineering checks, even after repeated pest complaints, has only deepened skepticism. For drivers, the issue is not just about comfort—it’s about health, dignity, and the right to a safe workplace.
As the November 5 protest approaches, the issue has become a rallying point for broader demands about working conditions on London’s buses. The march, organized by the London Bus Forums group and supported by campaigners like Mustafa, is expected to draw significant attention to the plight of drivers and the urgent need for systemic change. The hope among drivers is that their collective action will finally spur TfL and private operators to adopt more robust and proactive measures to safeguard both their wellbeing and that of the millions of passengers who rely on London’s buses each day.
In a city famed for its public transport, the cockroach crisis has become a litmus test for how seriously London’s leaders take the health and dignity of those who keep the capital moving. The coming weeks will reveal whether promises of urgent action translate into lasting improvements—or if, as drivers fear, the problem will continue to fester beneath the city’s busy streets.
