A London bus driver said she was “proud to do her job” but “frightened to die” as she begged the Government to do more to help protect transport staff.
Lorraine, whose route covers areas of south London, said she had been up all morning writing letters to relatives, including her parents in Jamaica, as she feared she “would not have the opportunity to say goodbye to the ones that I love” if she contracted the virus.
“I’ve got up this morning to the news that we’ve just lost 20 bus drivers to this Covid-19,” she said in a video posted online.
“I want my children and my family to have the letters that I have written because I am put at risk by TfL and Khan by not providing a safe environment for me to work in.
Proud
“I am proud to drive a London bus, I’m proud to do my job, I’m proud to get front line services to their place of work to help people. That’s why I’m still driving.
“But I’m frightened. I’m frightened that I’m going to die, because nobody in government – [Sadiq] Khan TfL will not listen to us.”
A total of 14 London transport workers have now died after contracting the virus, nine of them bus workers, according to the The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
Roaming the streets
The 62-year-old added that more needed to be done about those “roaming the streets”.
“I’ve had people day after after day get on my bus for no reason, putting me at risk,” she said. “It’s not fair – my life matters, if it doesn’t matter to anybody else it matters to my family.
“I just need someone to take notice and protect us while we provide the service and put our lives before profit. Khan, TfL, I beg you, think of me and my family.”
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