Drivers working for Arriva London North began the Arriva bus driver heatwave strike on August 14, walking out over poor working conditions in hot weather. The first action runs until the morning of August 15, and more walk-outs are planned across August, September and October.
The dispute involves 1,500 drivers based at eight bus garages and affects more than 40 routes across north, east and central London, as well as Essex. TfL says little or no service is expected on affected routes on strike dates.
Arriva London North routes
The action covers normal London buses, night buses, school services and Superloops. Unite says the drivers are spread across 26 dates, with 11 walk-outs planned in that period, so the disruption is not limited to a single day.
For passengers, the practical effect is straightforward: if a route is among the affected 40, service is expected to be limited or absent on the dates listed by the strike action. That includes travel through north London, east London, central London and Essex, where the garages involved are based.
Unite and Arriva North
Unite says the dispute stems from Arriva North having failed to act on driver complaints about working conditions in hot weather. The union says current air-cooling systems only reduce in-cab temperatures by around two or three degrees, even when temperatures soar beyond 40C.
Unite also says hot weather can cause heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration and makes fatigue worse. That is the issue drivers are pressing, not a brief scheduling dispute, and it explains why the strike has been set across multiple dates rather than one short stoppage.
London bus strikes
The immediate question for riders is which specific routes are included in the 40-route disruption. The published warning gives the scale, the areas affected and the dates, but passengers still need route-by-route checks before they travel on any strike day.
