Bus driver working time

British bus drivers are working longer than their European counterparts and should have at least an hour shaved off their daily driving time without loss of pay, says the Unite general union.

The UK driving hours regulations allow bus drivers to work for up to five and a half hours without a break and for as long as 16 hours a day. Unite says it wants passenger transport employers to conform to the spirit of European Union (EU) regulations. This would mean:

• a maximum single piece of driving duty not exceeding four-and-a-half hours;

• a maximum driving time of eight hours a day; and

• a maximum of ten hours total working time in any one day.

The union says that bus drivers should also be brought in line with coach and road haulage drivers and other EU bus drivers, who all enjoy the protection of the EU regulations. Unite is mobilising members around a Busworkers’ Charter to demand improvements for all workers in the sector, including ancillary staff such as maintenance and clerical staff, and tram workers.