Please may i receive all detail's regarding all Bus Driver's testing Positive to Covid19. Can I be given figure's reported garage by garage via the on line RIDDOR reporting system. I would like to receive actual number for each garage and what number have been reported has contracted in work place.

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TfL Ref: FOI-2119-2021

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 21st January 2021 asking for information about bus drivers that have contracted Covid-19.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.

Specifically you asked:

“Please may i receive all detail's regarding all Bus Driver's testing Positive to Covid 19. Can I be given figure's reported garage by garage via the on line RIDDOR reporting system. I would like to receive actual number for each garage and what number have been reported has contracted in work place.”

Buses in London are operated by private companies under contract to TfL, and those companies directly employ their drivers. TfL does not hold information from the RIDDOR reporting system, which is the process used by the Health & Safety Executive for employers to report injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences. However, TfL has been provided with the attached data, provided to us directly from the bus operators, showing the number of positive Covid-19 tests by garage up until the date of your request. This has only been reported to TfL since October 2020. The number of staff deployed at each garage varies from site to site (the spreadsheet includes a separate table showing the difference in market share between different operators), and we are aware that there is a correlation between larger garages and proximity to areas where there are a high number of positive tests within the wider community. Note also that it is not possible to definitively determine how or where somebody contracted Covid-19.

Safety is always our top priority and we have been doing all we can to protect transport workers. On buses, safety measures have included improved ventilation systems, sealing up the driver’s cab and a relentless focus on cleaning, using hospital-grade cleaning substances that kill viruses and bacteria on contact and provides ongoing disinfection. We ensure extensive daily cleaning takes place across the network that includes the cleaning of ‘touch points’ on board vehicles (steering wheel, poles, doors, handles etc.). Buses are treated with long lasting antiviral cleaner every night after the regular cleaning is completed. Bus garages and rest rooms are similarly treated daily. Social distancing is in place in depots, with the number of tables and chairs in canteens and other rest areas reduced to enable social distancing. At bus garages, stands and stations, additional buses have been parked and designated as staff rest areas. There are also capacity limits on buses that are helping to minimise risk of infection to drivers and customers.

We have regularly tested for coronavirus on our network with no evidence of it having been found to date. In September, we introduced a new testing regime in association with Imperial College London, which involves independent monthly air and surface sampling on both the Tube and buses. The testing undertaken has found no trace of coronavirus. It is essential that those using the transport network at this time to travel to school, work and other essential services, wear a face covering to help control the spread of the virus. All TfL and front-line bus operator staff have been offered face masks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Last year we also commissioned research from a health team at University College London to help us understand the risks at work and find the best protective measures to combat them. This is why we taped up the protective screen around the driver’s cab, made sure cabs had their separate air flow systems, put do-not-use signs on the nearest seats to the cab, introduced revised advisory passenger limits on buses, enhanced automated messages about social distancing and asked operators to furlough the most at-risk drivers.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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