Anger as Bee Network bus drivers say heat has led to ‘A&E’ visits and ‘fainting’

Bee Network bus drivers claim they have had to visit A&E after working for hours in extremely hot vehicles.

Drivers have spoken out about ‘growing anger’ over the situation on Greater Manchester’s buses, where there is a lack of working air conditioning on some vehicles.

Sources have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service of drivers ‘fainting’ and ‘throwing up’ after long shifts in buses which can get up to ’40C’ inside on warm days.

One driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “There have been quite a lot of drivers fainting and passing out because of the heat, people going to A&E, it’s putting the public in danger because a driver could end up in an accident while on shift.

“We’re getting nothing, and drivers are pushing themselves to the very limit out of fear of being marked as a trouble-causer by stopping working.

“Quite a lot of people have ended up feeling sick, there have been drivers having to stop the bus and throwing up at the side of the road in front of passengers.”

It’s understood that drivers’ shifts can be as long as five and half hours working on a bus which can feel ‘like a sauna’ on summer days.

The problem has been particularly bad this summer where temperatures in Greater Manchester have regularly gone above 30C.

Drivers also spoke about the risk of losing concentration while on the road due to the high temperatures.

The source added: “If you take a wrong turn on a double decker bus then that can be really dangerous.

“We’re dreading going into work because of this, and checking the weather before every shift. There’s a lot of anger growing.”

Drivers were seen at Piccadilly Gardens bus station this week with mini fans in their cabins in a bid to try and keep cool in the 34C heat, a temperature which can feel much hotter on board buses.

Other issues have been reported at bus depots.

One driver said that in the Stagecoach depot in Stockport air conditioning in the drivers’ canteen has been ‘broken for months’ – while claiming that managers’ offices and the traffic desk at the depot have functioning AC.

They said the issue is causing ‘frustration’ between bus drivers and those higher up at the depot.

Greater Manchester’s yellow Bee Network buses are owned by Transport for Greater Manchester but operated by different bus companies on behalf of the network.

Nick Fairclough, TfGM’s interim deputy network director of bus, said: “We take the welfare of our staff incredibly seriously. We are concerned by the issues reported by these drivers, and we’re raising them with the relevant bus operators as a matter of urgency.

“We’d strongly encourage any drivers struggling, feeling unwell or who have concerns about the cooling systems onboard their bus or at their depot to raise them immediately with their management team.

“We know that periods of extreme hot weather, like we’ve seen this summer, can clearly make the job of driving a bus or working on the network more uncomfortable and challenging.

“We’re grateful to all those colleagues for their continued efforts to keep people moving around Greater Manchester.”

A Stagecoach spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers is our highest priority, especially during the recent, unprecedented hot weather.

“Stagecoach has clear guidance and procedures in place to support colleagues during periods of hot weather, including access to drinking water and regular opportunities to take breaks.

“We monitor conditions across our operations and address any issues that may affect the comfort, wellbeing or safety of our colleagues. Where concerns are raised, they are taken seriously.”

It’s understood that the issue with air conditioning particularly affects older vehicles in the fleet, while newer electric buses have better quality cooling systems on board.

The Bee Network is aiming to have a fully electric fleet by 2030, meaning there could be many more summers of drivers working on buses which get extremely hot.

Bee Network drivers are able to raise concerns about welfare or their vehicle with managers, and bus operators are responsible for making sure support is in place for their employees.