London’s transport network is facing a surge in violence against its staff, prompting calls for increased action from Transport for London (TfL) and the British Transport Police (BTP). The London Assembly’s Transport Committee heard harrowing accounts of assaults this week, including incidents resulting in serious injuries and prolonged absences from work.
Figures presented to the committee reveal 431 assaults and hate crimes were recorded against London bus drivers between the start of 2025 and mid-August of the same year. More broadly, almost 10,500 cases of work-related violence and aggression were reported in the latest available data, though officials acknowledge significant underreporting.
Luke Banks, a revenue control officer on the London Underground, recounted an incident at King’s Cross Station last year where he intervened to protect a colleague who was being threatened. “The customer turned on me, shoved us both in the chest and started screaming death threats,” Banks told the committee. He further stated that the BTP did not respond for two hours, leaving him and his colleague to rely on fellow staff for safety. Banks described a work environment where colleagues have suffered “broken bones, noses, people ending up in A&E.”
Selington Rock Santan Fernande, a bus driver, testified that his cabin door was broken after announcing a route diversion, and he was subsequently pulled by his hair and physically assaulted, requiring hospital treatment. These accounts underscore a pattern of escalating violence faced by frontline transport workers.
The Transport Committee has urged both TfL and the BTP to enhance measures protecting staff. Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of security, policing and enforcement, affirmed that addressing the issue is an “absolute priority.” TfL is likewise requiring all customer-facing operational staff to wear Body Worn Video (BWV) cameras, citing a University of Cambridge trial that showed BWV can halve the level of staff assaults for frontline rail workers.
Concerns were raised regarding the speed of police response to incidents. Mr. Banks’ experience highlighted delays in BTP arrival at major stations, forcing staff to manage potentially dangerous situations themselves. Paul Feakes, a Revenue Control Inspector, reported being punched twice and dragged across a ticket hall floor during an assault, adding to the documented pattern of physical attacks.
TfL is working with the BTP and the Metropolitan Police to prosecute offenders, and has a dedicated Work-related Violence and Aggression (WVA) team providing support to victims, including statement taking and assistance through the judicial process. However, the TSSA union has called for increased funding for the BTP, arguing that a stronger police presence is essential to deterring violence.
