London bus passengers face an awful commute on Tuesday as thousands of drivers walk out over a pay dispute.
Up to 27,000 drivers who belong to the Unite union are expected to walk out from around 4am on Tuesday until the early hours of Wednesday as part of a campaign for a single agreement covering pay and conditions.
TfL expects the bus companies Abellio, Arriva, CT Plus, Go Ahead, London Sovereign, London United, Metroline, Stagecoach and Tower Transit to be affected.
The affected companies' routes
Transport for London (TfL) said the strike would also hit night bus services operating on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Speaking on Monday afternoon, a TfL spokesman said they expected the strike to cause "significant disruption" but added it was too early to say what would and would not be running.
Of around 700 bus services TfL runs in London, only around 50, which tend to be in outlying areas of the capital, are not involved in the dispute, he said.
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He told The Huffington Post UK: "We don't know until the drivers clock on or don't clock between 3 and 4am tomorrow.
"Until that happens, it's impossible for us to say what level of service we will operate."
He said TfL would likely have a "clear picture" of what was running by 7am but urged people to explore alternative options before travelling.
This will be bad news to those already tweeting @TfL to ask whether their bus is running.
People with bus and tram pass season tickets will be able to use them on the tube, DLR and London Overground services via "reasonable routes", they said.
But one-day passes will not be accepted on any alternative services and refunds will not be given.
Leon Daniels, from TfL, said: "The strike will mean that services across London will be patchy and I urge customers to please check our website for the latest news. We'll be getting up-to-date information to customers as quickly as possible to ensure that they can continue to get around the city."
The strike is over different rates of pay covering drivers doing the same job, leading to differences in hourly rates of over £3, Unite said.
Unite said that, unlike Tube drivers, bus drivers have no collective pay deal, with wages negotiated on a company by company basis.
Wayne King, the union's London regional officer, said: "London's bus operators have raked in millions in profits while driving down pay and refusing to tackle pay inequality on the capital's buses.
"As bus company directors enjoy lottery style salaries, bus drivers doing the same job on the same route are being pitted against one another on different rates of pay.
"Strike action is the last resort. We've been forced into this position by the operators' refusal to even meet with us. Passengers sitting side by side on the same route expect to pay the same fare, so why shouldn't drivers expect to be paid the same rate?
"The bus operators need to stop pleading poverty in defending pay inequality and collectively start negotiating about a fairer deal for London's bus workers."
Mr Daniels said: "It is extremely disappointing that Unite has decided to go ahead with this unnecessary disruption, especially given the low turnout for the ballot and low numbers voting for the strike.
"Bus drivers' pay and conditions are a matter for the bus companies and Unite to discuss, as it has been for 20 years, and we continue to urge them to seek a swift and fair resolution for the sake of our passengers."
TfL published this list of the limited number of services which are running.
66 - Romford Station to Leytonstone bus station
142 - Watford Junction to Brent Cross Shopping Centre
160 - Catford to Sidcup Station
258 - Watford Junction to South Harrow Station
268 - Golders Green Station to Finchley Road
288 - Queensbury to Broadfields Estate
298 - Arnos Grove to Potters Bar
303 - Edgware Station to Colindale
305 - Edgware Station to Kingsbury Circle
340 - Edgware Station to Harrow Bus Station
346 - Upminster Station to Upminster Park Estate
370 - Romford to Lakeside Shopping Centre
375 - Romford Station to Passingford Bridge
404 - Coulsdon to Caterham-on-the-Hill
406 - Kingston to Epsom
411 - Kingston to West Molsey
418 - Kingston to Epsom
428 - Erith to Bluewater Shopping Centre
463 - Coulsdon South Station to Pollards Hill
465 - Kingston to Dorking
467 - Hook to Epsom
470 - Colliers Wood Station to Epsom
492 - Sidcup Station to Bluewater Shopping Centre
499 - Gallows Corner to Heath Park Estate
626 - Finchley Central Station to Potters Bar
628 - Kingsbury to Southgate Station
631 - Golders Green Station to Henrietta Barnett School
641 - West Molesey to Teddington School
642 - West Hendon Broadway/Edgware Station to London Academy
653 - Muswell Hill Broadway to Kingsbury
683 - Friern Barnet to Kingsbury
688 - Southgate Station to Kingsbury
B12 - Erith to Joydens Wood
B13 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to New Eltham Station
B15 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to Horn Park
E10 - Northolt to Ealing Broadway Station
H2 - Golders Green Station circular (via Hampstead Garden Suburb)
H3 - Golders Green Station to East Finchley, Hilltop
H18 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Pinner & Wealdstone)
H19 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Wealdstone & Pinner)
K5 - Ham to Morden Station
S1 - Banstead to Lavender Fields
S3 - Sutton Hospital to Malden Manor Station
X26 - West Croydon to Heathrow Airport