Sadiq Khan said he was ‘absolutely devastated’ by the deaths of the five London bus drivers (Picture: PA)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said ‘lives really do depend’ on people following government rules to stay at home, following the deaths of five bus workers after testing positive for Covid-19.

Mr Khan said he was ‘absolutely devastated’ that the drivers had passed away, as he called on the public to only use public transport ‘unless it is absolutely unavoidable.’

His comments come after trade union Unite announced the deaths, calling them a ‘terrible tragedy’. Unite called on the government to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for ‘heroic’ transport workers to ensure their safety amid the pandemic.

Mr Khan tweeted a statement on Sunday morning expressing his condolences to the families who had ‘tragically’ lost their loved ones. He continued: ‘I have been clear that our incredible public transport staff – on the buses, tubes, trams and trains – are critical workers, making a heroic effort to allow our NHS staff to save more lives’.


TfL said measures have been ramped up to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers, including social distancing at bus stops (Picture: Reuters)

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The mayor said all drivers on London buses are shielded by a Perspex screen, while TfL has ramped up cleaning measures and is boosting social distancing at stations and bus stops, along with preventing passengers from riding near drivers.

‘TfL will continue to make enhancements across public transport in London to ensure there are even higher levels of protection,’ Mr Khan’s statement continued.

‘But we all need to play our part too and that means fewer Londoners using the public transport network.

‘Please follow the rules. Stay at home and do not use public transport unless it is absolutely unavoidable.’

Although the use of public transport in the capital, including bus and Tube services, has fallen dramatically since the start of the UK’s lockdown, Britons are still having to be reminded that it should only be used by critical workers.

Five London bus workers have lost their lives after testing positive for coronavirus. My thoughts are with their loved ones at this awful time.



Londoners: lives really do depend on us following the rules and staying at home. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/5X3pESV7Wy — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) April 5, 2020

Mr Khan urged the public to stay at home saying ‘lives depend’ on it (Picture: Getty)

Unite said it was working with Mr Khan and holding daily meetings with TfL to better protect drivers but echoed the mayor’s message that the public must stay at home and avoid travel.

Unite regional secretary Peter Kavanagh said: ‘Unite will assist the families of our members in every possible way during this terrible time.

‘Unite has been working continuously with Transport for London (TfL) and the operators to ensure the safety of drivers and others in the industry who are performing a heroic job in getting NHS and care workers to their places of work.

‘These measures include deep cleaning of buses, additional cleaning of touch points, the sealing of screens around the driver, the provision of hand sanitiser for all and placing the passenger seating closest to the driver out of bounds’.

He added: ‘My officers are holding daily meetings with TfL, exploring further safety improvements and we are absolutely committed to doing everything in our power to make the driving of buses safe during this unprecedented crisis.

Trade union Unite has called on the government to provide PPE for transport workers (Picture: PA)

‘We are also calling on the Government to make provisions for transport workers in terms of personal protective equipment.’

Gareth Powell, TfL’s managing director for surface transport, said: ‘We have been extremely saddened to hear of the recent passing of our colleagues in the bus industry. Our thoughts are with their families and friends and we have been offering the bus companies for whom they worked every support possible.



‘The safety of our staff and customers is our absolute priority and we have been working closely with the bus companies, the mayor and Unite to implement a range of changes and improvements to keep the bus network and garages safe for those operating and using it, in accordance with Public Health England advice.

‘Our clear message to Londoners is simple – the transport network is only for critical workers who need to make absolutely essential journeys. Please, everyone else, stay at home, don’t travel and save lives.’

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