Bus drivers happier if passengers say hello - survey

Bus drivers reported feeling more appreciated if greeted by passengers

Passengers who greet bus drivers as they embark or disembark have a small positive impact on drivers' wellbeing, a survey has suggested.

A pilot in Hammersmith saw stickers put on some buses to encourage people to say hello or thank you to the driver.

In non-stickered buses, just two in 10 people greeted the driver, which rose to three in 10 in stickered buses.

A survey of 77 drivers indicated a greeting from a passenger was meaningful to them, researchers said.

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The survey, carried out by the University of Sussex, Transport for London (TfL) and research company Neighbourly Lab, also found more than 80% of passengers at one bus stop believed that saying hello had a positive impact but less than a quarter actually did it.

Some bus drivers - who on average have salaries of £26,000 (entry grade) which can rise to more than £31,000, according to Go Ahead London which operates a quarter of the capital's buses - said passenger interaction made them feel "respected", "seen" and "appreciated".

Dr Gillian Sandstrom, director of the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness, said the results suggest "micro-interactions like these are more well-received, and more meaningful than most of us realise".

Tom Cunnington, head of bus business development at TfL, said: "Recognition and acknowledgement of each other is something we should encourage more, and I hope we can expand on this across London."

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