London bus heat complaints highest on record

About five million bus journeys are made a day in London

Complaints about London buses being too hot have reached their highest level on record.

There have already been 276 complaints this year, up from 155 last year and 149 in 2023, Freedom of information figures show. There were 51 in the second half of 2022.

Although more than 6,000 London buses have air-cooling systems, according to Transport for London (TfL), most are not air-conditioned.

TfL, which only keeps figures for three years, said the data "should be viewed in the context of the 1.8 billion bus journeys that are made in London each year".

The BBC measured bus temperatures close to 34C during June's heatwave

A series of heatwaves, where temperatures are above 28C (82.4F) for three consecutive days, have struck the capital this year.

Lorna Murphy, TfL's director of buses, said: "We value all customer feedback and continue to look at ways to make bus journeys more comfortable for our customers, especially during longer spells of hot weather.

"We've introduced several measures to help with this, including reflective roofs and insulation to help reduce heat, and opening windows for improved ventilation. All new double-decker buses are also fitted with air cooling.

"We also frequently issue travel advice for customers when travelling in hot weather, advising that they carry water and ask customers to look out for one another while on the move."

Last year, the Victoria line was shown to be the hottest on London Underground with average summer temperatures above 30C.