ANNOUNCING AN earlier lockdown would have likely saved more London bus drivers’ lives, an independent review has revealed.

The UCL Institute of Health Equity (IHE) led a review that found announcing lockdown by April 3, and stopping drivers going to work, could have prevented up to 80% of them dying with COVID-19.

The report is the second of a two-part review, commissioned by Transport for London (TfL), to understand more about the deaths of drivers in bus companies operating TfL routes from March to May 2020.

Focusing on the 27 deaths of London bus drivers caused by COVID-19, the report details those who had been working at the start of the pandemic in February last year.

24 full-time employees died, one worked part-time and two were agency workers.

Between June 2020 and January 2021, a further 15 London bus drivers died from COVID-19.

The report also found that drivers faced an additional risk of COVID-19 mortality because they were from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

However, between 53% and 63% of bus drivers who responded to the survey agreed that safety measures introduced before March 23 improved their safety.

Speaking on the findings from the report, Professor Sir Michael Marmot (Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity) said: “‘It is clear that an earlier introduction of the lockdown on March 23 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 workplace changes to reduce exposure to COVID-19, prevent avoidable ill-health and improve the wellbeing of bus drivers.”