buses

BUS drivers in London have fumed that their vehicles are becoming riddled with cockroaches.

Shocking snaps appear to show the rodents perched in seat cushions and drink containers.

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As a result, many drivers have flocked to London Bus Forums (LBF), a message board and campaigning organisation, to call on Transport for London to make its vehicles cleaner, The Times reports.

One video uploaded to the forum appears to show one driver get a nasty shock when he notices several cockroaches inside his drink.

“I went to take a sip from my drink and felt something in my mouth,” the driver says in the clip. 

“I spat it out and saw it was a cockroach.

“I felt sick and ended up vomiting.”

Complaints made by drivers are “growing in frequency and urgency”, according to the LBF.

Bus services are run by private companies under contract to Transport for London [TfL].

TfL said extensive daily cleaning took place across the network and the fleet was treated with the same long-term antibacterial products as were used on the Underground.

A TfL spokesman said: “We are committed to working together with operators to provide a clean environment for staff and customers. Most TfL welfare facilities are cleaned multiple times a day, and at a minimum daily, to maintain hygiene and safety standards.

“All buses are also cleaned every night before entering service, and reports such as these are rare.

“We take any report seriously and are urgently investigating the specific incidents that have been raised.

“As with any reports, we will take appropriate action as part of the investigation, which can include taking buses out of service for inspection, deep cleans and treatment with specialist equipment if necessary.

“We would like to reassure staff that our operators would never take action against people raising concerns about welfare or safety and encourage any driver with concerns to contact their employer, their union, or contact us directly.”

LBF added: “These cockroach reports are not isolated. They reflect a broader failure to maintain safe and sanitary conditions for bus drivers.

“This is a public health issue affecting both staff and passengers.

“That’s why drivers will be marching on November 5 to demand safer working conditions and the adoption of the bus drivers’ bill of rights.”

John Murphy, the regional officer for Unite, the union representing many London bus drivers, fumed that it was “completely unacceptable that London bus drivers are being forced to drive around for hours in vehicles that have cockroach infestations.”

He continued: “TfL and the bus companies need to take action now to rid all buses of infestations and Unite will hold them to account until they do.”

The Sun Online has reached out to Transport for London for comment.

Millions of passengers will soon be whizzed over from long-stay car parks to their terminal in a sleek new fleet of futuristic vehicles following a £14 million sustainability investment

One of the busiest UK airports is ditching gas-guzzling buses as part of a huge £14 million investment. Last year, London Gatwick Airport – which is owned and managed by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners – handled a whopping 43.2 million passengers.

Many of these travellers will have used the hub’s Park & Ride, which allows customers to park their vehicle at a designated car park outside of the airport and then take a shuttle bus to the terminal. It’s often much cheaper to use this option than using the roll-up parking, which can total up to a whopping £75 per day.

READ MORE: UK airports to face ‘busiest summer ever’ as worst days to fly are named

But passengers using Park & Ride will soon be whizzed over to the airport in a futuristic tram powered solely by electricity. Gatwick has confirmed it has signed a contract with Irizar e-mobility to bring 14 new electric tram-style buses – all of which are 18 metres long – to transfer passengers from the long-stay car parks to the terminals.

The move is expected to save 17.7 tCO2e in carbon emissions per year, and is part of the airport’s sustainability efforts to decarbonise the aviation industry.

The Irizar ie trams, which are known for their futuristic and minimalistic design, will all be equipped with luggage racks inside for ‘greater comfort and functionality’. The vehicles use the latest generation Irizar batteries and are charged using an ultra-fast pantograph system, which can do a full charge in less than six minutes.

“In addition, with the goal of improving safety, the new buses will be equipped with digital vision cameras, which significantly improves the front, side and rear visibility,” Irizar said in a statement. “In this way, Irizar e-mobility is expanding their electromobility solutions in the United Kingdom, where more than 50 Irizar electric buses are already operating in several cities.”

The Mirror was told the electric buses won’t be deployed until around Christmas time this year. Steve Kelso, Head of Engineering at London Gatwick added: “We’re excited to have 14 new electric tram busses coming to London Gatwick. We are playing our part to decarbonise the aviation sector and as we grow, we must do it sustainably.

“The electric buses are part of our transition to a fully electric vehicle fleet and just one example of our Decade of Change sustainability strategy in action.”

Last week (July 9), Gatwick celebrated another landmark after its first-ever electric flight landed at the hub, as part of the VINCI Airports Network Elektro Tour. The 50-flight leg tour, an early-stage proof of concept, coincides with the delivery of 47 new electric vehicles at London Gatwick, including airside operations and engineering cars.

This is part of the airport’s mission to upgrade its 300-strong vehicle fleet to fully electric by 2023 to support its broader £250m decarbonisation programme to achieve net zero for its own emissions in the next five years. Mark Johnston, chief operating officer at London Gatwick said: “We’re pleased to welcome the VINCI Airport’s Elektro Tour team to the airport, this might just be the smallest aircraft to ever land at London Gatwick!

“We’re proud to be playing our part in supporting wider efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector. Our vision is to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey, and as we grow, we must do it sustainably. Our transition to an electric vehicle fleet is just one example of our Decade of Change sustainability strategy in action.”

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A MAN and his company have been charged after a 27 tonne mountain of rotting rubbish was dumped in a road.

The mound of industrial waste, which is longer than two double-decker buses combined, was dumped by fly-tippers back in January.

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Furious locals complained about being trapped inside their homes by the humongous 80ft mountain of waste.

Local businesses were also been left stranded due to the blockage on Watery Lane in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Now, Lichfield District Council said a man from Uttoxeter now faces multiple charges.

These include depositing waste, endangering road users, dangerous driving, breaching HGV drivers’ hours regulations, and obstructing the highway.

A company, based near Stafford, has been charged with depositing the waste and obstructing the highway.

Resident Elaine Hutchings, who owns a livery yard, previously said that the festering pile could be smelled from a distance.

She explained that the rural road – which was already inaccessible on one end due to ongoing works – was now completely unusable.

She said: “It’s industrial rubbish, building waste, you can smell it.

“Watery Lane is used as a cut-through. The one end was already shut due to scheduled works and this being dumped this morning means residents and businesses will be left isolated.”

She added that nine or ten households had been cut off – with a small number, including Elaine’s, able to escape their properties via an alternative route set up by housing developer Redrow.

The local told how staff from Lichfield District Council had been on-site to move the build-up, adding: “I had a message from a farmer and they sent me a photograph.

“I drove up and called the council, councillors and the police were already there.

“They are trying to sort the logistics of trying to get it moved.”

Both the man and company who have been charged are due to appear at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on July 1.

Councillor Doug Pullen, the leader of Lichfield District Council, said: “This was an appalling act of environmental crime.

“Local people woke up to find their only route to and from their homes completely blocked, and the cost to the taxpayer of removing and disposing of the waste was nearly £10,000.

“Thanks to the swift action of our environmental health officers, suspects were quickly identified, leading to these charges.

“We take a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping, because that’s what our communities rightly expect.

“This case is about more than prosecution. It’s about protecting our environment, supporting law-abiding businesses, safeguarding local people—and sending a strong message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.”

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