BUS CAB SCREENS

Our Ref: HSR/2/6
Head Office Circular: NP/105/22
22nd April 2022
To: The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague,

BUS CAB SCREENS

Further to the decision of the RMT National Bus Workers’ Industrial Organising Conference last year, your National Executive Committee, at its meeting on 21st April, noted and adopted the following report from its Health and Safety Sub-committee:

We note that in reference to issue of bus cab screens the work already done by RMT:

the General Secretary letter to all bus companies on 27th March 2020, requesting, amongst other things, that ‘where screens are not currently fitted to buses, these to be installed to give drivers greater protection’

the General Secretary reporting, at a meeting with the Bus Minister on 25th March 2021, that there were still problems in South East/South West with lack of screens/screens not being fitted properly and in response the Minister agreed to write to bus operators and prompt them to refresh their health and safety audit

RMT raising the issue of coaches in Wessex having no protection with a fitted screen for the driver and these are used on the school runs which have no social distancing on school buses at meetings with the Confederation of Public Transport (CPT) in early May 2021 and subsequently at a tripartite meeting with the CPT and Bus Minister and CPT on 6th May 2021

Subsequent to the above, RMT correspondence with CPT, and Grant Shapps as Covid-19 mitigation measures relaxed during 2021 and also subsequential correspondence with CPT in which they explained that only buses were seat by driver was back in use, were those buses that had Perspex screens.

The above were actioned in respect to the risk posed by Covid-19 and the importance of screens in preventing spread of the virus. However we also recognise the vital role properly fitted screens can play in protecting drivers against attacks from aggressive passengers.

Given this we instruct the General Secretary to write to all bus companies where we have recognition to encourage them to install safe, effective cab screens on passenger vehicles to protect employees from contact and contamination from viruses.

Branches and Regional Councils to be advised accordingly.

I am acting in accordance with these instructions.

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members.

Yours sincerely

Michael Lynch
General Secretary