TfL Introduces New Bus Safety Measures in Bid to Eliminate Fatalities

Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled a new package of bus safety enhancements aimed at preventing deaths and serious injuries across the capital's bus network by the end of the decade.

The measures form the next phase of TfL's Bus Safety Standard programme and will apply to new buses entering service up to 2033. The initiative is part of the wider Vision Zero strategy, which seeks to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on London's transport network.

The announcement follows concerns over rising numbers of bus-related collisions and vehicle damage incidents. Figures released earlier this year showed that more than 15,000 incidents involving damage to buses were recorded in 2025, with nearly 16,000 reported in 2024.

Under the updated standards, a range of design and technology improvements will be introduced to improve safety for passengers, drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Changes inside vehicles will include enhanced lighting, clearer safety information, redesigned tip-up seats that automatically return to an upright position when not in use and measures aimed at reducing slips, trips and falls while travelling.

Accessibility improvements also feature prominently within the plans. These include enhanced communication systems between wheelchair users and drivers, together with improved audio alerts linked to ramp deployment to support passengers with additional mobility needs.

New collision prevention technology will also be introduced. Future buses will be equipped with systems capable of detecting pedestrians or cyclists directly in front of the vehicle and preventing the bus from moving off if a collision risk is identified. Driver monitoring technology, including visual, audible and tactile alerts, will also be deployed to help tackle fatigue and improve concentration behind the wheel.

The safety programme comes after a number of serious incidents involving buses in London, including a crash in central London in September 2025 that left 17 people injured after a double-decker bus mounted the pavement.

Despite recent improvements, TfL acknowledges that further progress is needed. Ten people lost their lives in collisions involving buses during 2025, although the organisation said this represented the lowest annual total since 2021.

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said the capital had made significant progress in reducing deaths and serious injuries involving buses but stressed that further action was required to meet long-term safety objectives.

He said the latest standards would help provide greater protection for passengers, drivers and vulnerable road users while supporting the ambition of creating safer streets across London.

Lorna Murphy, TfL's Director of Buses, said the organisation remained committed to eliminating deaths and serious injuries across the transport network and that the latest measures represented another important step towards achieving that goal.