The report notes that over
80 percent of drivers (22 out of 27) who died had ceased work by
3April, meaning their infection would likely have
been contracted pre-lockdown.
The new report is the second of a two-part review,
commissioned by Transport for London (TfL), to understand more
about the factors relating to the deaths of drivers among bus
companies operating TfL routes within London from March to May
2020.
The report focuses on the 27 deaths from COVID-19 of the
London bus drivers who had been working since the start of the
pandemic in February 2020, 24 of whom were full-time employees,
one was a part-time employee and two were agency workers.
Between June 2020 and January 2021 a further 15 London bus
drivers died from COVID-19. These form a smaller proportion of
the deaths in London than those in March to May, but the review
authors say it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about
these later deaths.
Part one of the UCL IHE review, published in July 2020,
undertook a rapid, short-term review of the actions and measures
that have been implemented to date, to consider what is working
and whether any elements should be amended or further
improved.
The final report updates the part one analysis with new
data from bus operators and the Office for National Statistics
(ONS) to provide a better indication of the extent of excess
mortality among London bus drivers in the first wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic in London.
It also reports on the results of a survey* of drivers of
buses on TfL routes in London (London bus drivers) in October and
November 2020. Out of 26,365 employees, 3,880 drivers responded
to the survey. The key findings, which include survey data,
inform the recommendations.
Final report key findings (including survey
responses):
• An earlier lockdown would likely have saved lives, with
many of the drivers who died having underlying health conditions,
putting them at greater risk.
• The analysis suggests that most of those who died had
become infected in March. The timing of when workplace health and
safety measures were introduced such as hand sanitisers, enhanced
cleaning and screens are unlikely to have prevented the majority
of infections leading to death.
• Some part, but not all of, the excess deaths were due to
a larger than average proportion of Black Asian and Minority
Ethnic drivers (BAME groups having a higher COVID-19 infection
and mortality rates).
• The information collected in the survey from bus drivers
on their pre-existing health conditions shows that rates of
diabetes, hypertension and overweight are broadly similar to
those collected on the general population in the Health Survey
for England, with exceptions in specific age groups.
• Between 53 and 63 percent of bus drivers who responded to
the survey agreed that the various safety measures introduced
before 23 March improved their safety at work.
Professor Sir Michael Marmot (Director, UCL Institute of
Health Equity) said: “‘It is clear that an earlier introduction
of the lockdown on 23 March 2020 would have saved lives. However,
we do not know whether an earlier introduction of workplace
preventative measures would have reduced COVID-19 infection and
mortality in addition to the lockdown.
“We know pre-existing health conditions and ethnic
composition play a role in COVID-19 infection and mortality. The
UCL Institute of Health Equity therefore recommends implementing
a number of work-place changes to reduce exposure to COVID-19,
prevent avoidable ill-health and improve the wellbeing of bus
drivers.”
Key recommendations:
1. All bus drivers, particularly those with identified risk
factors, need: continued protection to reduce their exposure to
COVID-19 while it exists in the community; continued social
distancing and mask wearing in all locations where bus drivers
are out of their cabs; and promotion and enforcement of
compliance by all these measures.
2. Early interventions on ill-health prevention are needed
long-term to reduce obesity in the population as a whole, with
particular measures required for younger London bus drivers who
have higher obesity rates than other young people of the same
age.
3. As fatigue is a pre-existing issue for some bus drivers,
with evidence that COVID-19 infection and lockdown have
contributed to this, ongoing action should be enhanced to address
any new issues arising from the pandemic, following a short-term
review of shift lengths, patterns and rotas.
4. Drivers who have clinically verified ongoing COVID-19
infection symptoms will continue to need financial, psychological
and clinical support from bus companies and the NHS.
5. Some bus drivers report several factors that have
increased the demands on them despite reduced passenger and
traffic numbers such as passenger aggression and non-compliance
as well as new traffic measures. In anticipation of increased
passenger and traffic numbers, TfL should support drivers in the
short-term through both ensuring communication of guidance to the
public is clear on measures in force and those that change at any
point in time, accompanied by enforcement action to support
drivers.
6. Bus operators should ensure a more complete recording of
ethnicity and TfL should issue similar guidance on harmonized
ethnic recording to that currently being implemented across the
NHS - based on the March 2021 Census ethnic
classification.
7. As breathing problems appear to be a pre-existing issue
reported by many London bus drivers and are exacerbated in those
self-reporting COVID-19, the Government and the Mayor of London
should prioritise improving air quality on London’s roads.
