Commuters in Richmond and across the borough are being warned to expect major disruption later this week as bus drivers employed by First Bus plan strike action.

If the walkouts go ahead, services in west, northwest and southwest London will be severely affected on the following dates:

• From 5am on Friday, 29 August until 5am on Saturday, 30 August 2025
• From 5am on Monday, 1 September until 5am on Tuesday, 2 September 2025

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed there will be little or no service on affected routes.

Buses not directly involved in the strikes are expected to be much busier than usual as passengers seek alternatives.

Within Richmond borough, several routes are on the strike list:

• 33 – serving Richmond town centre, East Sheen, Barnes and Twickenham
• 65 – running through Kew, Richmond town, Petersham and Kingston
• 110 – linking Whitton with Hammersmith via Richmond Station
• 281 – serving Twickenham, Teddington and Kingston
• H37 – running from Hounslow through Isleworth to Richmond Bus Station

These routes are among dozens across the capital due to be affected, including night buses N18, N31, N33, N65 and N72.

TfL is urging passengers to:

• Use Tube and rail services where possible – these will run as normal.
• Walk or cycle for shorter journeys.
• Allow extra time if travel is essential.
• Plan ahead and check before you travel.

Up-to-date travel information will be available on the TfL website and through TfL Go.

First Bus London workers are striking due to a dispute over £30 million in unpaid backdated holiday pay owed since December, according to Unite the Union.

A spokesperson for First Bus London said: "We are disappointed at Unite's decision, particularly as we tabled a revised pay offer in a final attempt to avert disruption.

"We regret that our valued employees were not given the chance to formally vote on the offer, especially as our own internal feedback indicated a good level of interest in what we proposed.

"We believe that constructive engagement could have helped us avoid strike action, which will unfortunately cause unnecessary inconvenience to the London public and loss of earnings for our employees.

"Our enhanced, above-inflation offer with full back pay for all employees reflects the value we place on our people and our commitment to protecting them from the rising cost of living, even in the challenging financial environment we operate in.

We remain ready to meet Unite at any time, as we are committed to finding a resolution and minimising disruption for our passengers and employees alike.

"We expect there to be little or no service on the affected routes, and we're sorry for any disruption this may cause to people's journeys.

"There will still be alternative travel options, but other routes may be busier than normal.

"We encourage those who are affected to plan ahead, allow extra time for their journeys and check before they travel using the TfL website or the TfL Go app."

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