HUNDREDS of UK Buses Have Chinese ‘Kill Switch’

A bombshell investigation by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has revealed a startling truth: up to 700 electric buses operating across the country can be remotely shut down via a so-called “kill switch” controlled from China.

The buses, built by Chinese manufacturer Yutong, are currently in service in major cities including Leeds, Manchester, and Nottingham — and are owned by major public transport operators such as Stagecoach and First Bus.

“We’re essentially looking at a fleet of rolling vulnerabilities,” said a Whitehall official familiar with the probe. “A foreign power having technical access to disable key elements of our public transport network — that’s a nightmare scenario.”

Security concerns were first raised last year in Norway, where transport officials discovered that onboard SIM cards in Yutong buses — originally designed for software updates — could be exploited to remotely power down the vehicles.

Following those revelations, UK cybersecurity teams launched their own deep-dive. Their verdict? The buses can be disabled over the internet.

“The technical capability exists,” confirmed an NCSC spokesperson. “There’s no evidence it’s ever been used maliciously, but the risk is real.”

Nottingham City Council recently announced it had replaced its entire fleet of single-decker buses with Yutong vehicles and is planning to do the same for its double-deckers by the end of the year.

“This is alarming,” said transportation analyst Sarah Connors. “Local governments have been buying these buses in good faith — with taxpayers’ money — unaware that they may be ceding control to a hostile state.”

Despite the red flags, British officials say they’re unable to block further purchases of the buses without definitive proof of interference. The problem? That proof doesn’t exist — yet.

“There’s no smoking gun,” said a government source. “And if we act too aggressively, it could worsen already delicate ties with China.”

The UK is currently navigating a tightrope with Beijing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit China later this month, in the first such trip since 2018. Meanwhile, construction is poised to begin on China’s massive new “super-embassy” in central London — just steps away from sensitive tech and finance assets.

MPs across party lines have expressed outrage that the UK allowed such a security loophole to go unaddressed.

“This isn’t about buses. It’s about who controls our infrastructure,” said Labour MP Rachel Reeves. “The government needs to slam the brakes on Chinese procurement until there are guarantees that British systems can’t be hijacked.”

Some experts have even likened the buses to digital Trojan horses — rolling tech platforms that could become pawns in a future geopolitical standoff.

“It’s not just about what could happen today,” said cybersecurity expert Henry Shard. “It’s about what could happen if relations with China go south.”

While UK authorities say the “kill switch” has not been activated to date, the NCSC is continuing to monitor the situation, especially as similar investigations unfold in other nations.

The Department for Transport released a cautious statement:

“We take security extremely seriously and are working closely across Government and with the transport sector to understand this issue and mitigate potential risks.”

Still, critics say the damage may already be done.

“Beijing doesn’t need to flip the switch,” said one intelligence consultant. “They just need us to know they could.”