A London bus driver has publicly criticised Mayor Sadiq Khan after he claimed to have given Transport for London (TfL) permission to let workers refuse to drive vehicles that became dangerously hot, with the driver disputing that any such protection actually existed in practice. The row follows a series of heatwaves across the capital in 2026, during which bus drivers were among the worst-affected TfL staff, as many vehicles lacked functioning air conditioning while temperatures in some cabs exceeded 40°C.

Sir Sadiq Khan told LBC radio that he did not want any bus driver working in conditions he deemed unacceptable, and stated he had authorised TfL to allow drivers to opt out of driving overheated vehicles without penalty. However, the driver speaking out disputes that this assurance reflected reality on the ground. The dispute comes after separate Daily Mail testing found temperatures on some London bus routes and Tube lines exceeded the legal limit set for transporting cattle.