en.Wedoany.com Reported - Transport for London (TfL) has released Phase Two of its Bus Safety Standard, requiring all new buses entering service by 2033 to meet a series of safety requirements in order to achieve its "Vision Zero" goal.
Building on the achievements of the previous phase, Phase Two is developed through extensive research, trials, and collaboration with manufacturers, operators, unions, and safety experts. It focuses on the collision types and risk scenarios that cause the most severe injuries, while providing long-term certainty for industry investment and innovation.
The key measures outlined in the standard cover multiple areas. In terms of enhancing customer safety, improvements include better interior lighting, clearer safety information prompts, and the introduction of fold-up seats (which automatically fold upright when not in use) to reduce slips, trips, and falls. These requirements will take effect from 2030. Accessibility improvements include better communication between wheelchair users and drivers, and enhanced audio prompts for ramp deployment. In supporting new technologies for safer driving, a new "Start Information System" can prevent the bus from moving when a pedestrian or cyclist is in front of it. Advanced emergency braking system enhancements extend protection to turning scenarios, while a new acceleration suppression technology prevents the driver from inadvertently pressing the accelerator too hard. In addressing driver fatigue and distraction, based on trials involving 400 buses, the new system provides visual, audio, and haptic alerts when fatigue or distraction is detected. TfL will go beyond national requirements by activating the alert system from 5 km/h (rather than 20 km/h), while improving monitoring and reporting to support driver health. In terms of redesigned cabs, ergonomic cabs will enhance driver comfort, inclusivity, and safety. This includes immediate design improvements and long-term research to determine future standards.
Lorna Murphy, TfL's Director of Bus Operations, stated that safety is at the heart of everything in the bus network, and the organization is determined to achieve the Vision Zero goal of eliminating all deaths and serious injuries from all forms of transport. The release of this standard demonstrates the power of close collaboration with operators, manufacturers, and others, aiming to improve safety in all aspects and create a safer network for passengers and drivers.
The latest TfL data shows that buses remain the safest mode of travel on London's roads and carry more passengers than any other form of public transport. In 2025, 10 people died in collisions involving buses. While any death is unacceptable, this is the lowest number since 2021. The number of bus passenger injuries is also the lowest on record, except during the 2020 pandemic period.
Since the launch of Phase One of the standard in 2018, many of its measures have become standard features on new buses outside London, involving locations such as Manchester, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong, and Singapore. During the analysis period, casualty numbers on routes implementing the standard fell by approximately 41%, compared to a reduction of around 22% on control routes.
The Bus Safety Standard is a core part of TfL's work to achieve its Vision Zero goal: to have no one killed on or by a bus by 2030, and to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from the transport network by 2041. Compared to the 2010-2014 baseline, deaths or serious injuries in collisions involving buses have been reduced by 28%, and deaths or serious injuries among bus passengers or drivers have been reduced by 40%.
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