National Express Drivers Swelter in 40C Cabs Without AC
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- National Express bus drivers in the West Midlands described 40C cab conditions as 'unbearable,' with three anonymous drivers — each with 20+ years of service — saying their shirts were 'wringing wet' and that passengers had passed out on board.
- Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said drivers were left 'sweltering during heatwaves' and accused operators of acting surprised by an annually worsening problem; the union distributed a template letter letting drivers cite their legal right to stop work over unsafe heat.
- National Express called the recent heat 'unprecedented,' said all new electric vehicles have air conditioning, but argued retrofitting older buses was historically not cost-effective — while conceding the policy 'may need to be reviewed' if such conditions become the norm.
- Drivers said they were granted extra 30-minute breaks during heatwaves, but many were unaware of the policy and feared it would cut their pay and delay service for passengers.
- Green MP Hannah Spencer said she would introduce a parliamentary bill establishing a maximum workplace temperature, and London mayor Sadiq Khan pledged further support for bus drivers in June.
- The Met Office warned last week that climate extremes were becoming the 'new 'normal' for the UK,' after three successive heatwaves this summer produced the country's hottest-ever June day.
Why it matters: National Express's own retrofit math assumed a 'mild climate' with only 'limited' hot days, yet drivers are already passing out and passengers are collapsing in 40C cabs — meaning the company, regulators, and unions are now negotiating safety rules against a baseline that no longer holds, with a parliamentary bill on maximum workplace temperatures adding legislative pressure.
