On the buses

The police and local authorities along the route have received a growing number of calls from passengers, bus drivers and ambulance crews worried about people asleep on the No. 25.

Thames Reach set out to measure the scale of the problem in conjunction with the London Ambulance Service and the Metropolitan Police.

A survey of passengers on two recent nights was conducted with the aim of assessing the numbers using the bus as overnight shelter and the profiles of the individuals concerned.

The research threw up some interesting results. It found a real diversity in the people using the overnight service – including a high percentage of women.

Most people were on their own, rather than in a group, and their support needs were most frequently as a result of drinking and mental health problems. They were also an older than average client group.

Perhaps the most important observation was that 85 per cent of the individuals in the survey had status or nationality issues barring them from access to public benefits – which meant their housing options were limited and depended on finding employment, using squats or returning to their country of origin.

Other night buses are used in the same way, but the No.25 is subject to more than the usual amount of night sleeping because the route passes a number of well-known places offering homeless services and provision in London. The No.25 service was mentioned by several rough sleepers who had accessed the Crisis Christmas advice services.

Passengers can get on the bus without passing the driver – which means they can use the service for free. Buses run all night and with a small number of stops it can be a long, uninterrupted journey.

At the end of the journey on Ilford High Street, passengers simply get off, walk across the road and wait for the next bus back into central London.

If passengers are asleep and cannot be woken, the driver’s only option is to take the bus – with them on it – into the terminus. He’ll attempt to rouse them and move them on. But if that fails, the driver may be forced to call the ambulance service or police, or take the bus out again with the passengers still asleep on it back to Oxford Street.

London Street Rescue has called for more research to look at the problem in greater depth – and to recommend ways of dealing with it. One solution may be to equip bus drivers, transport police, bus terminal staff and ticket inspectors with leaflets listing homeless services across London. It would be useful to identify specialist providers such as East European homeless services and give information in Polish/non-English languages.

As half of the sample knew of or have already accessed day centres, the bus companies and police could communicate with them via posters at day centres.

The street rescue team works with individuals sleeping rough who are referred to us via agencies such as council offices and day centres. The team is keen to work with any individual who is rough sleeping. Day centre staff or council officers can call the service on 0870 383 3333 until midnight, seven days a week for advice and guidance.

Andy Solomon-Osborne works for Thames Reach’s London Street Rescue service and is set-up manager of the Lambeth SORT team.