00:00Unite, the UK's largest trade union, has said assaults on London bus drivers are at what it described as a disgraceful level.
00:11Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request showed there were 818 physical assaults and hate crimes against drivers on duty in 2024,
00:22compared with 679 in the previous year, and up to mid-August this year, 431 incidents have already been logged.
00:32Now, Unite's National Officer for Passenger Transport, Wayne King, has reported to have said the attacks had risen sharply since the beginning of the pandemic
00:42and that thousands of drivers faced a daily risk.
00:45He argued that no worker should expect to be abused or attacked and called for action immediately from Transport for London,
00:54the Mayor of London as well, and bus operators too.
00:59Now, at the same time, London's transport system is shaping the property market.
01:05New analysis by Bank Nationwide has suggested that homes within a 500-metre radius of a tube or rail station
01:15sold for an average of £42,000 more than comparable properties further away.
01:22This was equivalent to an 8% price premium.
01:25The research said that despite more people working from home since the pandemic,
01:31good transport links remained a key factor for Londoners when deciding where to live in the capital.
01:41It was reported that more than four in five Londoners rated proximity to a station as being important
01:48when buying or renting a home in the capital.
01:52The uplift in value was most pronounced for homes near the Zone 1 stations.
01:59Now, along with safety concerns and housing pressures,
02:02Transport for London has also highlighted enforcement of the ultra-low emission zone.
02:09It reported that almost all penalty charge notices for non-payment involved persistent evaders,
02:16with 94% of fines going to drivers who had more than four outstanding notices already.
02:24TfL said it had recovered over £16.5 million worth of debt in the first half of 2025.
02:31Since the zone expanded across London in 2023,
02:36drivers of older and more polluting vehicles have been required to pay a £12.50 daily charge,
02:42with a £180 penalty issued if unpaid.
02:47And it's halved within 14 days as well, that penalty.
02:50TfL Chief Customer Strategy Officer Alex Williams
02:54said he wanted to make it clear that penalty charges should not be ignored.
02:59TfL Chief Customer Strategy Officer Alex Williams
03:00said he wanted to make it clear that penalty charges should not be ignored.
03:01TfL Chief Officer Alex Williams
03:02said he wanted to make it clear that penalty charges should not be ignored.
03:03TfL Chief Officer Alex Williams
03:04said he wanted to make it clear that penalty charges should not be ignored.
03:05TfL Chief Officer Alex Williams
03:06said he wanted to make it clear that penalty charges should not be ignored.
03:07TfL Chief Officer Alex Williams
03:08said he wanted to make it clear that penalty charges should not be ignored.
03:09TfL Chief Officer Alex Williams
03:10said he wanted to make it clear that penalty charges should not be ignored.
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