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Huge London bus strikes on 10 days Nov, Dec

Posted by (Northamptonshire, England) on

I can't yet tell you which bus routes are affected but the chances are if the London Bus you want to ride is operated by Abellio (all red London buses have the operator name prominently displayed) it will be affected by these 10 days of strikes in November and December.

There has been disquiet for some months now, but previous strikes have only affected locals in outer Zones.

This time there are over 1,000 drivers going on strike and you may find disruption wherever you are. Even if the bus you want isn't directly affected the overspill from the cancelled routes may well affect other routes and other buses.

The dates of these massive strikes are:

  • November 22
  • November 25
  • November 26
  • December 1
  • December 2
  • December 3
  • December 9
  • December 10
  • December 16
  • December 17
Posted by
1943 posts

Thanks Nigel. I always thought that all London buses were operated by TfL.

Posted by
9590 posts

Oh goodness. Thanks for the heads up, Nigel. I guess it's just as well I still haven't planned my return trip to London. I would be hard pressed to enjoy a visit without my beloved buses !!

Posted by
32791 posts

I always thought that all London buses were operated by TfL.

Buses are fully privatised and operated by many operators, large and small, even some by RATP who run the Paris Métro and buses. In order to operate in London they need to follow TfL rules (TfL are the body responsible for all transportation in London, buses, tubes, some trains, cable car over the Thames, riverboat services, taxis, Santander bikes, the roads, and all vehicles moving over, under, and on them). TfL are the agency who give utilities permission to dig up the roads (again!!!) and hand out tickets if a naughty driver blocks a Box Junction.

So, because of TfL, London buses are red, stop at what looks like a London Transport bus stop, and exclusively follow TfL ticketing procedure. So they all look and work alike, but under the skin are competing private companies.

Posted by
304 posts

Thank you as usual, Nigel! This will affect us. We switched airport hotels in July (b/c of those strikes) to one actually in a terminal, from the hotel we've used for years on Bath Road that was a 3-minute (free) bus ride away. Just a bit too iffy when trying to catch a plane. Very helpful info!

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