FEARS FOR TRANSPORT STAFF:
■ At least nine bus drivers killed by virus across UK ■ Widow complains staff putting their lives at risk
TRANSPORT WORKERS may be at risk of “short supply” when it comes to personal protective equipment (PPE), a Minister has acknowledged, amid calls for more stringent safety measures.
At least nine bus drivers have died in the UK after testing positive for the coronavirus, with some families warning they had no PPE whatsoever as they carried out their duties.
Now Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris has said that officials are working to pinpoint areas facing a risk of short supply, while ensuring equipment is “in the right place at the right time”.
Giving evidence to the Commons’ Transport Select Committee, Mr Heaton-Harris said: “We obviously encourage all transport sector employees to check with the Public Health England guidance on the use of PPE.
“And we’re working with the sector and the trade unions – who I would like to thank very much for their co-operation in this area – to identify areas where there is a risk of short supply.
“My officials are working with key industry stakeholders to better understand the measures organisations are putting in place to protect their staff, and the further need of PPE going forward.”
Among those to have lost their lives is London driver Nadir Nur, 48, whose widow claimed he had “no PPE whatsoever”.
Bishara Maye said her late husband was a “dedicated, hardworking” father who took his duty as an essential worker seriously, but she said he was not protected.
“They worked in the frontline without any protection from this aggressive deadly virus,” she said.
“PPE should be made available for bus drivers who are putting their life at risk daily in order to put food on the table and pay bills.
Bus drivers are doing their part for the country, we should be protecting them.”
Mr Nur, who drove a bus between Islington and Hackney, was said to be in good health before he died.
Paying tribute, she added: “He was a man of honour. He was the rock of the family.
“We miss him so much and wish that more was done to keep him safe. He was a hero.”
Buses Minister Baroness Vere told the Commons’ Transport Select Committee yesterday that Public Health England (PHE) has not called for bus drivers to be given face masks.
“There is little evidence of widespread benefit to using face masks outside clinical and care settings,” she stressed.
The Minister went on to say “there’s lots of things that can be done” and insisted the Department for Transport is working with operators to ensure they “understand exactly what they should be doing”.
This includes having adequate supplies of hand sanitiser, keeping contact between drivers and passengers to a minimum and encouraging the use of contactless payments wherever possible.
She added that PHE guidance in relation to transport workers “is going to be refreshed very shortly”.
We’re working to identify areas where there is a risk of short supply
Transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris