We want to attract more women into the bus and coach industry. That’s why we’re proud to have launched the Women in Bus and Coach network! 🚌 🎉
About the network
More than half of bus customers are women. However, only around 10% of the people who work in the bus industry in London are women. 👎🏾
The Women in the Bus and Coach initiative will challenge and eliminate barriers currently faced by women in the profession. It will create a more inclusive service that is representative of customers. This change will help to make sure that women have equal access to a career in the industry and a workplace designed around their needs.
TfL is hosting this initiative, and longer term it will be run by the industry. The network, made up of industry leads, will provide a collaborative forum to share expertise. It will also help to develop solutions to make careers more attractive to women of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities.
‘Women in Bus and Coach is a fantastic example of how we are collaborating with colleagues and organisations beyond TfL in the delivery of genuine improvements to make the places we work inclusive and diverse’
– Andy Lord, TfL Commissioner
Hearing from women in the industry
Women who have forged a career in the industry joined us at the network launch event. 🎤
They discussed how the profession has changed over the last 20-30 years and what more needs to be done. They spoke about working in a very male dominated industry and the challenges they faced, from having to wear men’s uniforms, the lack of toilet facilities that meet women’s needs, to macho culture and poor cab design.
Here’s just a few snippets from some of the women. 👇🏾
‘The bus and coach industries provide incredible opportunities for a varied, challenging and ultimately rewarding career. It is only right that women, whatever their background, have equal access to these opportunities and a workplace designed around their needs. We’ve made significant progress in recent years in recruiting more women into the industry. I can’t wait to work further with stakeholders to launch this charter and achieve a professional environment and culture that not only works for women, but also delivers bus and coach services that better meet the needs of women.’
– Louise Cheeseman, Director of Bus at TfL
‘The gender proportions are improving across bus and coach but not quickly enough. That diversity is so important to drive further success, bring thought leadership, and ensure we continue to be reflective of the communities we serve.’
– Lorna Murphy, Operations and HR Director at Abellio London
‘Encouraging more women to join the bus industry will lead to so many positives, from introducing more diversity of thought, to fostering a more open culture addressing challenges in labour recruitment and retention. I am delighted to be part of this group supporting women in bus and coach.’
– Ruth Salmon, Consultancy Lead, Safety at TRL
Get involved
Email us at [email protected] if you work in the UK bus and coach industry and want to find out more.
You can also find out more about how we’re working to attract more women to all our industries at TfL.