A planned bus strike across London is set to go ahead tomorrow with services affected from around 4am on Tuesday 13 January through to night buses early Wednesday morning.
If the strike goes ahead services could be ‘patchy’ Transport for London (TfL) has warned, with around 27,000 workers expected to take part. However bus routes should be back to normal by the day of Wednesday 14 January.
The dispute is over union demands for a single pay agreement across the 18 bus operators contracted by TfL.
Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, said: `It is extremely disappointing that Unite has decided to threaten unnecessary disruption, especially given the low turnout for the ballot and low numbers voting for the strike. Bus drivers' pay and conditions are a matter for the bus companies and Unite to discuss, as it has been for 20 years, and we would urge them to seek a swift and fair resolution for the sake of our passengers.’
However Unite accused the operators of ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over ‘glaringly unfair’ pay disparities created by their separate pay structures, which is in contrast to the single pay agreement for Tube workers.
Transport for London has offered the following advice to passengers:
· Customers with a Bus and Tram Pass season ticket will be able to use it on the Tube, DLR and London Overground services.
· If you have a Bus & Tram Pass season ticket, 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard or 16+ Zip Oyster photocard with free bus and tram travel, it will be accepted on Tube, DLR and London Overground services on reasonable routes only. Show your Oyster card to a member of staff and ask to be let through the gates. Don't touch in or out on yellow card readers at stations as you will be charged a pay as you go fare
· Bus & Tram Pass season tickets will also be accepted on MBNA Thames Clipper RB1 River Bus service between 06:00-10:00 and 16:30-19:30
· You won't be able to use your Bus & Tram Pass season ticket to travel on National Rail services or the Emirates Air Line
· If you have a One Day Bus & Tram Pass or a bus Saver ticket, you won't be able to use your ticket on any alternative service or get a refund
· If you use an Oyster or contactless payment card to pay as you go, you will be charged the appropriate pay as you go fare for your journey based on the service you use and zones you travel through. You won't be able to apply for a refund.
Here are some tools to help you plan your journey:
· Status updates
· Plan a journey can help you plan your route by public transport, cycling or walking
· Nearby uses your current location or a postcode or address of your choice and places you on a map, showing you Tube, bus, river, Overground, DLR, National Rail and Cycle Hire locations around you
· Live bus arrivals shows you live arrivals an any of our bus stops, so you know when the next bus is coming
· Follow @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter
Operators most likely to be affected are Abellio (Abellio London and Abellio West London), Arriva (Arriva North and Arriva South), CT Plus (Hackney Community Transport), Go Ahead (Blue Triangle, Docklands, London General, London Central, Metrobus), London Sovereign , London United, Metroline (Metroline and Metroline West), Stagecoach (East London Bus & Coach Company, Selkent) and Tower Transit.
