TfL has been convicted and fined £2 million after 74-year-old Grace Mecaley was fatally struck by a double-decker bus while using an authorised crossing at Walthamstow bus station on 15 December 2023. An HSE investigation found TfL failed to ensure safe circulation of pedestrians and vehicles. TfL pleaded guilty to breaching the Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992 and was ordered to pay £5,081 in costs. TfL says permanent pedestrian safety improvements were completed in December 2024.
TfL Fined £2m After 74-Year-Old Pedestrian Killed At Walthamstow Bus Station
Grace Mecaley, a 74-year-old retired nurse, died after being hit by a bus at Walthamstow bus station [Getty]
Transport for London (TfL) has been convicted and fined £2 million after a 74-year-old woman, Grace Mecaley, was struck and killed by a double-decker bus while using an authorised pedestrian crossing at Walthamstow bus station on 15 December 2023.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that TfL failed to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely around the bus station. The retired nurse suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
HSE Inspector Laurence Goodacre described Mecaley as a 'vibrant member of her community' and said her death had been 'deeply felt'. He added that 'TfL had a responsibility to keep pedestrians safe, but its failings meant Grace never made it home.'
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, TfL pleaded guilty to breaching the Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992. The court imposed a £2 million fine and ordered the organisation to pay £5,081 in legal costs.
Lorna Murphy, TfL's Director of Buses, offered condolences to Mecaley's family and said the organisation had accepted responsibility for the breach. She said TfL was determined to reduce deaths and serious injuries across the transport network and that the organisation would consider its next steps in relation to the fine.
Murphy also confirmed that permanent works to improve pedestrian safety at Walthamstow bus station were completed in December 2024.
The HSE emphasised that its role is to hold organisations to account when failures in health and safety put members of the public at risk or lead to tragic incidents. The case highlights the importance of rigorous safety management at busy transport hubs.
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