BUS drivers gathered in Angel on Wednesday to protest “unsafe and degrading” working conditions that include cockroach infestations, passenger abuse, forced overtime and a lack of access to toilet facilities.

Marching from Islington Green to Transport for London’s headquarters in Southwark, ­drivers outlined 12 demands – dubbed the Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights – to improve their ­safety and dignity while working on London’s roads.

The protest was organised by the Independent Bus Drivers and Bill of Rights Campaign.

GMB union representative Steve Garelick told the Tribune: “It’s not just the cockroaches. When the bus gets to its terminus, you could be walking into something that is less than delightful, especially on upper decks where people choose to relieve themselves and all sorts.

“Drivers are constantly abused on buses, it can be very scary.

“When you’ve got a driver who’s being spat at, or their cab is being punched, that’s no way to live.

“At the moment, individuals don’t know whether they’re going to have a warm bus, a working bus, a cold bus, or whether they will be subject to abuse at work.

“I want to do all I can to make sure there’s support for these folks because they’re doing an incredibly difficult job and nobody’s really listening.”

Bus drivers are employed and buses supplied by private companies, but the campaigners are making their demands on TfL, urging it to embed their terms into its contracts with operators.

“Independent bus companies are profit-making ventures who have ignored the needs of the drivers,” said Mr Garelick, adding: “They have all got their own methods for operating, but we’re saying they should all follow the same standards.”

Among drivers’ 12 demands are a safe work schedule free from forced overtime or loss of pay; proper rest breaks; safe, well-maintained vehicles; heating and air-conditioning in cabs; clean toilets on all routes and protection for whistleblowers.

While Mr Garelick and the GMB support the Bill of Rights, they also want to see TfL implement a broader Drivers’ Charter that ensures safety and dignity for all workers on London’s roads.

GMB told the Tribune that while the union supported drivers’ demands, they did not attend the march as they did not want to appear on the same platform as Reform UK members.

Former London Bus Driver Kevin Mustafa, campaigner for the Independent Bus Drivers and Bill of Rights Campaign, who organised Wednesday’s march and rally, told the Tribune: “We welcome the GMB’s support for our Bill of Rights Campaign.

“At our rally in front of TfL’s headquarters on Wednesday, three Members of the London Assembly (AMs) and a former TfL Board Director and Board Safety Panel Chair publicly endorsed our relentless Campaign.

“If London’s elected representatives of the Green, Reform and Conservative parties – plus a former TfL board director – can appear together and agree that the Mayor must inscribe the Bill of Rights into TfL’s Framework Bus Services Contract, it does beg the question: where were the Labour Party Assembly Members and representatives of that party’s biggest union funder, Unite the Union, which also happens to be the union TfL recognises for London’s bus workers?”

“I sincerely believe London’s Bus Drivers expect better representation from a political party and labour union that claim to speak on Bus Workers’ behalf.”

Lorna Murphy, TfL’s director of buses, said: “Bus drivers play an essential role in keeping the capital moving. Alongside bus operators, we take their safety and welfare seriously and we rightly require operators to meet high standards.

“We are working together on a range of measures to further improve working conditions, health and wellbeing. We are committed to ensuring that all staff have a fair work schedule, with safe vehicles and access to the facilities they need to carry out their roles effectively. We would like to reassure colleagues again that any reports from drivers are always fully investigated, and our operators should never take action against people raising concerns about welfare. We value all feedback from the thousands of people who work tirelessly to keep London’s bus network moving, and will carefully consider any proposals for improvements to safety and welfare.”