Complaints about buses have risen

Complaints were received from bus passengers and other road users

Complaints about London buses have risen by 12,000 over the past year, Transport for London (TfL) said.

A total of 124,410 complaints were made in the year to March 2008, compared with 112,185 the previous year.

They included complaints about bus driver behaviour from passengers, from cyclists and drivers of other vehicles.

TfL said the figures reflected its improved complaints procedure, and that the "vast majority" of bus journeys were completed without incident.

'Spat at'

Complaints were also received about buses being delayed, dirty and suffering technical problems.

Cyclist Joe Heaven complained after a bus driver not only cut him up on the road, but then jumped off his bus for a face-to-face confrontation.

Mr Heaven said: "He jumped out and ran around the front of the bus to catch me as I came past and he started yelling at me.

"I stopped and said 'where did you learn to drive?' and he spat at me."

Mr Heaven added: "These drivers are getting away with it and it's encouraging a really bad attitude towards cyclists. I think some of these guys need to be made an example of."

More passengers

TfL said buses carried 2.2 billion passengers per year and the 2008 figures equated to one complaint for every 17,490 bus journeys.

In 2007 there were 112,185 complaints and in 2006 95,984 complaints.

TfL said it had received a further 70,152 complaints from bus passengers since April.

It also attributed the increase in complaints to a rise in the number of passengers by 107 million since 2007.

The spokeswoman said: "Passenger satisfaction levels are high, but we are not complacent and will continue to invest in improving the bus service to provide London with the world class transport network it deserves."