Petition to Make Air Conditioning Mandatory on All Public Service Buses and Coaches 

We, the bus drivers, coach drivers and members of the public who work on and use public buses and coaches call on the Government and public transport authorities to make air conditioning mandatory on all public service buses and coaches. 

As temperatures continue to rise, many passengers are forced to travel in buses that become dangerously hot and uncomfortable, particularly during the summer months. This affects everyone, but especially vulnerable groups such as older adults, young children, pregnant women, and people with medical conditions. It also places bus drivers under extreme strain, and driver fatigue caused by excessive heat is dangerous because it can reduce concentration, slow reaction times, and increase the risk of accidents.

Air conditioning is no longer a luxury—it is an essential health and safety feature. Modern public transport should provide a safe, comfortable, and accessible environment for all passengers and for the drivers responsible for their safety.

We therefore urge the Government and transport operators to:

Require all newly purchased public service buses and coaches to be fitted with effective air conditioning.
Introduce a phased programme to retrofit existing buses with air conditioning where practical.
Establish maximum safe temperature standards for passenger areas on public buses.
Ensure regular maintenance of cooling systems so they remain fully operational throughout the year, and if they are broken, the vehicle should be issued a PG9 and taken off road until repaired.
Making air conditioning mandatory would:

Improve passenger comfort and wellbeing.
Reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses.
Help prevent driver fatigue and improve road safety.
Encourage more people to use public transport.
Create a more accessible transport system for vulnerable passengers.
Help prepare public transport for increasingly frequent heatwaves caused by climate change.
Public transport should be safe and comfortable in all weather conditions. We ask the Government and transport authorities to take action now by making air conditioning a mandatory feature on all public service buses and coaches. 

Sign this petition to support safer, healthier, and more comfortable public transport for everyone.