LBC questions Sadiq Khan on London bus driver deaths review
21 May 2020, 15:35 | Updated: 21 May 2020, 15:37
LBC questions Sadiq Khan on London bus driver deaths review
LBC questioned the Mayor of London over the London bus drivers deaths review.
An independent review is being conducted on coronavirus deaths and infections among London's bus workers, Transport for London has announced.
Sadly 33 London bus workers have died after contracting coronavirus, including 29 drivers.
Part of the report conducted by UCL will reflect on the adequacy of TfL's response to the pandemic, with Sadiq Khan telling LBC he will respond to the findings "in real-time" to ensure safety.
The Mayor told LBC's Shelagh Fogarty TfL had gone "over and above" the recommended safety measures, including providing each vehicle with anti-viral hospital cleaner and disallowing passengers to enter the front doors.
The report will also look at potential contribution occupation exposure may play in the differences in the infection and death rate, for example bus drivers versus general population, Mr Khan said.
Shelagh, who has received many calls from concerned bus drivers, said they "felt like they were being had because they were hearing people like you saying we're doing everything that we can and then the bus companies were not making them safe."
The Mayor said he insisted the private bus companies enforced the safety measures they were promising, with TfL recruiting the unions to investigate.
Shelagh reflected that is seems "unconscionable" that buses weren't cleaned properly in the early stages of the crisis which amounted to "almost neglect."
Mr Khan listed the measures TfL are continuing to take, adding that some buses may have missed being cleaned due to cleaners shielding and missing shifts.
"We've made sure there's additional due diligence being done," he said, "I'm not complacent and I've made sure at every stage I've seen what other transport bodies are doing."
Which is why, he said, he has asked UCL to go in and do this extra work.
