When London Buses was divided into 11 subsidiaries operation of route 38 was taken over by London Forest. London Forest was wound up in 1991; the route then became a joint operation between Leaside Buses and East London, before being transferred to Leaside Buses.
The transfer of route 38 from London Forest to a joint operation with Leaside Buses and East London, then finally to Leaside Buses, highlights the changing ownership and operational structure of the bus route.