Which London bus routes are ‘infested’ with cockroaches?

Over the years, London has given birth a number of appalling and frankly disgusting things: we’ve had stinkpipes, the great bed bug scare of 2023, and lets not forget about the Whitechapel fatberg. 

Now a new totally gross thing has emerged from the capital. Get ready to go ‘ew!’, because it’s been revealed that some London bus routes are absolutely ‘infested’ with cockroaches. And they don’t even pay the fare. 

The grisly news came out as London bus drivers reported finding the critters in the seats in a number of routes, with videos and photos shared with London Bus Forums. The unsavoury passengers were found riding on routes 159, 345 and 55. One driver operating the 159 reported finding a cockroach in their drink during a break. 

‘I went to take a sip from my drink and felt something in my mouth,’ the driver said. ‘I spat it out and saw it was a cockroach. I felt sick and ended up vomiting.’

Bus safety campaigners have written to Transport for London (TfL) highlighting the problem. TfL said such instances are rare and has launched an urgent investigation.

Kevin Mustafa, a London bus safety campaigner, told the BBC: ‘The current state is untenable for drivers who already face demanding working conditions. Swift, transparent and decisive action will go a long way toward restoring trust, ensuring safety, and maintaining public confidence in London's bus services.

‘London bus drivers are reporting persistent issues with cockroaches and unsanitary conditions onboard their vehicles. This is not a matter of occasional nuisance – many drivers describe infestations, and the situation is starting to pose real health, safety and wellbeing risks.’

A TfL spokesperson said: ‘We are committed to working together with operators to provide a clean environment for staff and customers. Most TfL welfare facilities are cleaned multiple times a day, and at a minimum daily, to maintain hygiene and safety standards. All buses are also cleaned every night before entering service and reports such as these are rare.

‘We take any report seriously and are urgently investigating the specific incidents that have been raised. As with any reports, we will take appropriate action as part of the investigation, which can include taking buses out of service for inspection, deep cleans and treatment with specialist equipment if necessary.

‘We would like to reassure staff that our operators would never take action against people raising concerns about welfare or safety and encourage any driver with concerns to contact their employer, their union, or contact us directly.’

Which London bus routes have cockroaches?

The three bus services with reported sightings of the insects are: 

• 159 – Streatham to Oxford Circus
• 345 – Peckham Bus Station to Natural History Museum / Cromwell Road
• 55 – Walthamstow Bus Station to Oxford Circus

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