The Mayor of London will do whatever it takes to keep all transport staff safe.
A statement to railbusinessdaily.com says safety is Sadiq Khan’s highest priority and he is urgently exploring every possible option.
It comes after growing criticism over concerns of a lack of PPE for Transport for London staff, with several having died having contracted coronavirus.
The RMT union is among many call for approved masks, gloves and eye protection for staff who require it.
In response, Transport for London says it estimates that it would need three million masks and three million pairs of gloves a month in order to provide all frontline staff on TfL services with PPE for a month.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor will do whatever it takes to keep all transport staff safe – this is his highest priority and he is urgently exploring every possible option.
“Sadiq has been clear that our amazing frontline health and social care workers must be first in line for PPE. But the advice from medical experts is that if used incorrectly, PPE can actually be counterproductive and dangerous because it gives a false sense of security while providing very little production. That’s why both PHE and the WHO are not recommending the use of PPE for transport workers.
“Our transport staff are understandably scared and want PPE as they think it could help them to stay safe. The Mayor is looking in detail at whether it’s possible to get sufficient PPE stock so it can be used safely, although there are serious concerns about the supply chain being able to meet this need at the moment.”
Photo credit: Transport for London
