Per Recommendation 3 of UCL IHE’s Phase 2 Study, did TfL ever conduct a “short term review of shift lengths, patterns and rotas”? If so, please provide me with a copy of this review and all background documentation (emails, memos, handwritten notes) associated with it. If no such review was conducted, please explain why.

To support Transport for London (TfL) and its stakeholders in understanding the suitability, limitations and potential for using existing fatigue and/or risk assessment scheduling and rostering tools, TfL has commissioned the University of Surrey to undertake a review of fatigue risk assessment tools. The first phase of this work is underway and is due to be completed this year. TfL is also committed to exploring fatigue detection technology further to help bus operators look for potential links between fatigue incidents and the schedules and rosters bus drivers work.

The approach to bus drivers shifts and allocation of shifts is up to bus operators and their individual business needs and all rosters and shift scheduling must comply with national regulations. Bus operators provide flexible shifts to drivers where possible.

A short-term review of shift lengths, patterns and rotas, in response to recommendation 3 in the UCL report, has not yet been undertaken while TfL completes the work reviewing fatigue risk assessment tools and undertakes work to explore the potential links between fatigue incidents and schedules and rosters through a trial of fatigue detection technology. This work will help to inform the purpose and scope of a future review of shift lengths, patterns and rotas by first providing insight on the types of shifts and rotas that may influence the likelihood of fatigue.