Emeka Nyack Ihenacho

• IT’S truly tragic that 21 transport workers in London have died after contracting COVID-19.

The devastating impact of the virus has been felt by a number of my constituents and I would like to offer my condolences at this time of grief.

All who have stepped forward to serve on the front line in the battle against the pandemic are heroes.

Emeka Nyack Ihenacho was one of those heroes. An employee of Metroline, the Highgate resident worked out of the Holloway bus depot.

The father-of-one was devoted to his job as a bus driver and his family have been left heartbroken.

Although travel on the capital’s buses has dropped by 85 per cent since the lockdown was announced, we need to ensure that drivers and the essential workers making necessary journeys are properly protected.

To make travelling on them as safe as possible, the mayor has confirmed a trial of middle-door only boarding will take place on several Abellio routes that operate out of Walworth bus garage. This includes two routes that serve hospitals.

Transport for London has also been working with Unite the Union and bus operators to actively discourage passengers from sitting near the driver and recently introduced an extra layer of protection to the clear screen that separates the driver from customers to create a more complete barrier, while anti-viral disinfectant is being used to clean the interiors of vehicles.

Please bear in mind that no one apart from essential workers should be using the transport network. The message is: stay at home, don’t travel, save lives.

JENNETTE ARNOLD
London Assembly Member for North East Hackney, Islington & Waltham Forest