Advice needed – Metroline bus hit‑and‑run, TfL & Metroline not responding

payrollgio

Hi all,

I’m looking for some advice on how to move forward with a situation involving a TfL bus operator (Metroline).

On 10 August 2025 at 00:09 AM, a Metroline bus on Route XXX struck my parked vehicle  London . The driver failed to stop and left no note or contact details.

I have:

• A police report (crime reference number available).

• Witness statements and CCTV footage from nearby businesses confirming the incident.

The problem is:

• My insurance company says Metroline is asking for the bus vehicle registration (VRM) before they can progress the claim.

• I don’t have the VRM.

• None of the witnesses noted it.

• The CCTV footage confirms the collision but the angle doesn’t capture the registration plate.

I’ve submitted a claim to both TfL and Metroline, but I’ve had no response so far.

I’m now preparing a Freedom of Information request to TfL to obtain the VRM and fleet details, and I’m considering escalation to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) if they continue to stall.

Questions:

1. Has anyone here successfully obtained bus registration details from TfL/Metroline after a collision?

2. Is FOI the best route, or should I push harder via the police/solicitor?

3. Are there any other watchdogs or regulators (e.g. London TravelWatch, ICO) that can force disclosure?

4. Any tips on timelines or escalation strategies?

I’d prefer to resolve this privately, but I’m being urged to go public as I have support online. Before I do that, I’d like to exhaust the formal/legal channels.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Jaybee_16

Every bus has an identifying fleet number on the side. Does the CCTV show this? 
If it does, you won't need the VRM to identify the bus.

Baldytyke88

Do you live in the area, can you go to the location and look at the reg plates and look for a damaged bus, will there be much damage?

Car_54

If you know the route number and direction, TfL and/or Metroline should be able to identify which bus was at that location at that time.

Mildly_Miffed

Without any identification for the bus itself - fleet number and/or registration - you're out of luck.

You shouldn't need to go FoI if you have the location, route, time. You should be able to deal with whichever Metrobus garage operates that route.

Routes and garages:
https://bus-routes-in-london.fandom.com/wiki/Metrobus

clay_d

That info should already be publicly available:

• go to bustimes.org
• put the route number in the search box
• click on the correct route in the results
• click on "Vehicles"
• set the date to 9 Aug 2025 (as the incident was just after midnight, you'll need the timetable data from the previous day)

That will give you a list of all the buses operating the route, what times they were running, and their reg numbers. You should be able to identify the exact vehicle from that data.