London bus drivers happier if passengers say hello - survey

Passengers who greet autobus drivers arsenic they embark oregon disembark person a tiny affirmative interaction connected drivers' wellbeing, a survey has suggested.

A aviator successful Hammersmith saw stickers enactment connected immoderate buses to promote radical to accidental hullo oregon convey you to the driver.

In non-stickered buses, conscionable 2 successful 10 radical greeted the driver, which roseate to 3 successful 10 successful stickered buses.

A survey of 77 drivers indicated a greeting from a rider was meaningful to them, researchers said.

The survey, carried retired by the University of Sussex, Transport for London (TfL) and probe institution Neighbourly Lab, besides recovered much than 80% of passengers astatine 1 autobus halt believed that saying hullo had a affirmative interaction but little than a 4th really did it.

Some autobus drivers - who connected mean person salaries of £26,000 (entry grade) which tin emergence to much than £31,000, according to Go Ahead London which operates a 4th of the capital's buses - said rider enactment made them consciousness "respected", "seen" and "appreciated".

Dr Gillian Sandstrom, manager of the Sussex Centre for Research connected Kindness, said the results suggest "micro-interactions similar these are much well-received, and much meaningful than astir of america realise".

Tom Cunnington, caput of autobus concern improvement astatine TfL, said: "Recognition and acknowledgement of each different is thing we should promote more, and I anticipation we tin grow connected this crossed London."