Transport for London (TfL) has published the second phase of its Bus Safety Standard policy, setting out a new series of safety requirements for buses entering service in the capital up to 2033.
The updated standard introduces changes to vehicle design, safety technology and driver support systems aimed at reducing injuries and collisions involving buses. The measures form part of TfL’s wider Vision Zero programme, which seeks to eliminate deaths and serious injuries across London’s transport network.
The new requirements were developed following research, trials and consultation with bus manufacturers, operators, trade unions and safety specialists. The framework is designed to address the types of collisions and injuries that result in the most serious harm while providing longer-term certainty for vehicle manufacturers and operators.
Among the planned changes are modifications to bus interiors intended to reduce slips, trips and falls, which remain one of the main causes of passenger injury. Future buses will feature improved lighting, clearer safety information and, from 2030, tip seats that automatically fold upright when not in use. Additional accessibility measures will include improved communication systems between wheelchair users and drivers, as well as enhanced audio alerts for ramp deployment.
The standard also introduces new vehicle technologies aimed at preventing collisions. A Moving-Off Information System will be required to prevent a bus from moving away when a pedestrian or cyclist is detected immediately in front of the vehicle. TfL also plans to expand the capabilities of Advanced Emergency Braking systems to include turning manoeuvres and introduce acceleration suppression technology to help prevent unintended rapid acceleration.
Driver safety and wellbeing form another part of the programme. Following trials on around 400 buses, fatigue and distraction monitoring systems will provide visual, audible and tactile alerts when signs of reduced attention are detected. These systems will activate at speeds from 5 kilometres per hour, compared with the 20 kilometres per hour threshold required under current national regulations.
The new standard also outlines plans for a redesigned driver’s cab. The proposed changes focus on ergonomics, comfort, inclusivity and security, with both immediate design improvements and longer-term research informing future requirements.
According to TfL, buses remain the safest form of road transport in London and carry more passengers than any other public transport mode. Road casualty data released by the organisation showed that 10 people were killed in collisions involving buses during 2025, the lowest annual figure since 2021. Bus passenger injuries were also recorded at their lowest level on record outside the pandemic-affected year of 2020.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said:London's bus network is one of the safest in the world, and I'm proud that we are making real progress in eliminating death and serious injury from the network. But we must go further and faster to eliminate this heartbreak across the capital.
This new world-leading safety standard is an important part of our work towards achieving Vision Zero across the bus network. It will help protect passengers, the bus drivers who keep London moving, as well as other road users, while supporting innovation that can prevent collisions and save lives.
I'd like to thank partners, manufacturers and operators for their help in developing this standard, which is vital to building a safer, fairer, better London for everyone.
The first phase of the Bus Safety Standard, introduced in 2018, has influenced vehicle specifications beyond London. Measures developed through the programme have been adopted in other parts of the UK, including Manchester and Northern Ireland, as well as in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Analysis of routes served by buses meeting the original standard found casualty numbers fell by approximately 41 percent during the study period, compared with a reduction of around 22 percent on comparable routes not using the same vehicle specification.
The Bus Safety Standard forms part of TfL’s commitment to its Vision Zero targets, which include eliminating deaths involving buses by 2030 and removing all deaths and serious injuries from London’s transport network by 2041. TfL reported a 28 percent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in collisions involving buses compared with the 2010–2014 baseline, alongside a 40 percent reduction in the number of bus passengers and drivers killed or seriously injured during the same period.
Lorna Murphy, TfL's Director of Buses, said:We continue to put safety at the heart of everything we do on London's bus network and are determined to meet our Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury across all forms of transport.
The launch of the second phase of the Bus Safety Standard demonstrates the strength of our collaborative approach, working closely with operators, manufacturers and partners to improve safety across every aspect of the bus and deliver a safer network for everyone - including customers on and off the bus and our hard-working drivers. We know there is more to do, and we will not stop until we achieve our Vision Zero goal.
