London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for compulsory face masks to be worn on public transport.
Khan this morning said that protective measures for the capital’s bus drivers had gone ‘above and beyond’ expert advice after it was announced passengers would now only be able to board through the middle doors.
He said he is lobbying the Government to change its advice on wearing face coverings to add ‘another layer of protection’ to members of the public.
Khan said that wearing a non-medical facial covering makes it less likely you may inadvertently give somebody else Covid-19.
He also claimed that ‘all of us’ may need to wear face masks when the lockdown ends.
It was also announced today that middle-door only boarding would be introduced from Monday to protect drivers.
The change in policy is the latest in a new pandemic measure announced by Transport for London (TfL) to protect drivers after 16 bus workers in the capital died of Covid-19.
Commuters in London this morning were seen using the tube network with many covering their faces with masks
Commuters Travel on London’s underground network this morning. One is seen using a mask and another has his scarf around his face
Commuters were seen boarding this morning at Canning Town station in London as many covered their mouths
Khan (pictured above) last night said it should be compulsory for people to wear masks in public
A passenger is seen wearing a face mask while using a London bus. Many commuters have been wearing the masks as a precautionary measure
Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning he said: ‘It’s heartbreaking, I’ve had 16 bus drivers who have lost their lives, it’s personal to me. It’s really heartbreaking and my condolences to those families.
‘We’ve gone above and beyond advice we’ve been given by the experts.’
He continued: ‘The evidence I’ve seen is if you wear a non-medical facial covering it doesn’t necessarily limit your changes of catching the virus. What it does do, if you yourself are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, it reduces the chances of you giving the virus to somebody else.
‘And so wherever you can’t keep your social distance you should be wearing a facial covering.’
He added: ‘What we must not do is to give the impression, which I’m not seeking to do, that it is now safe to socially interact – not the case.’
The London Mayor said authorities had introduced protective glass, anti-viral cleaning and passengers sitting away from the driver to keep staff safe, as well as middle-door boarding which will be rolled out from Monday.
He added: ‘I’m confident working with the excellent trade unions, we’ve made sure our public transport is as safe as it can be for both passengers and also our staff as well, who deserve a huge credit for keeping public transport running in these difficult times.’
This morning Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was important to follow the scientific advise when it came to issuing the pubic with guidance for things such as wearing face masks in public.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain today he said: ‘The Sage committee has a subcommittee working hard on this to weigh up evidence.
‘Some say it can do more harm than good. But this needs to be on medical advice, not what a politician has woke up and thought that day.’
Speaking to the BBC he later added: ‘I think that we need to be completely guided by the evidence on this as the Mayor acknowledged in the letter he wrote to me.’
He added that ‘it looks like the advantages might be marginal and there can even be times when it’s disadvantageous if they’re not used properly’.
Speaking about the new bus restrictions TfL’s director of bus operations Claire Mann said: ‘Bus drivers are pivotal in ensuring critical workers like NHS staff and grocery workers can perform the vital roles they do during this national emergency.
Passengers at Canning Town station this morning were seen wearing gloves and face masks on their commute
At Canning Town station this morning people were seen wearing face masks while others held them to their faces
‘Their efforts are nothing short of heroic, and it is essential that we leave no stone unturned when looking to protect them.’
TfL trialled the boarding change on 140 buses across nine routes, with the operator saying it was ‘confident’ that the low number of people travelling meant people could keep a safe distance between each other.
Khan had been slammed for the trial period, with many claiming he was ‘wasting time’ by introducing the measure.
The Mayor of London has faced a barrage of criticism in recent weeks from transport workers who say they are working in dirty conditions while 90 per cent of the capital’s buses and more than half of Tube services continue to run.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan last night called for it to be made compulsory for people to wear masks in public while the Covid-19 epidemic continues.
He said: ‘I am hopeful that the advice from scientists will change.
‘The evidence around the world is that this is effective.
‘I am lobbying our Government, our advisers, to change their advice and I want us to do that sooner rather than later.’
The measures have been introduced to protect bus drivers and passengers from Covid-19
London Mayor Sadiq Khan (pictured above) has enforced new guidance across London’s bus network
Earlier this month Khan also insisted that bus drivers did not need to wear personal protective equipment.
The Mayor’s decision infuriated the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, who said transport staff should stop working if they are not provided with adequate safety equipment.
Limited use of London’s buses by essential workers had led the number of people travelling to ‘plummet’ by about 85 per cent, TfL added.
Passengers will not need to touch in after boarding and are asked not to approach the driver.
Existing measures to protect drivers and passengers include signage directing people away from seats near drivers, improved protective screens around the cab and regular announcements reminding those on board of the need to maintain social distancing.
TfL said it was also considering creating a ‘completely sealed partition’ between drivers and passengers.
Earlier, a trade union official called for drivers to be issued with personal protective equipment.
And a South London bus driver identified only as Lorraine, 62, said last week in an online video she was ‘proud to do her job’ but ‘frightened to die’ as she begged the Government to do more to help protect transport staff.