Commissioner's Report
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Commissioner’s report 9 December 2020 1 Introduction 3 2 Safety and security 4 3 Restart and recovery 14 4 Improving transport and generating growth 21 5 Healthy Streets 31 6 Crossrail 39 7 Finance 41 Commissioner’s Report 2 This paper will be considered in public 1 Introduction This report provides a review of major Following intensive discussions with the issues and developments since the Board Government, we were successful in meeting on 21 October. securing a funding agreement so we can keep providing essential services for We are now over halfway through our London over the next six months. The financial year and the ongoing effects of £1.8bn deal means we can continue to the global pandemic continue to have a serve London’s people and businesses damaging and profound impact on our and support our key workers and the organisation, our city and across the city’s economy through what are globe. tumultuous and uncertain times. There is still work to do with the Following the Government’s Government so we can agree a longer- announcement of a second national term sustainable funding solution to keep lockdown on 31 October, we worked London moving, and we have committed rapidly to understand the impact of the to an additional £160m of savings on top new restrictions on our people, of the savings within our revised budget in customers and services. On 26 November, July. I would personally like to thank the Government announced that updated everyone involved in the latest round of restrictions would come into force on 2 funding discussions for their incredible December, with London entering Tier 2 hard work throughout this process to level restrictions following the end of the secure this deal for London. England-wide lockdown. We have issued guidance for customers who will be I am also delighted we reached a funding returning to the transport network in and financing package with the greater numbers as shops, businesses and Government on Crossrail on 1 December. hospitality venues reopen and university Securing this financing is a vital step in students travel home ahead of the festive ensuring Crossrail CEO Mark Wild and his period. Our customers can travel to team can now fully concentrate on safely venues or amenities that are open, but delivering the Elizabeth line, which is so they should walk or cycle where possible vital for boosting rail capacity and and avoid busy times and routes on public supporting the economy. transport. I would like to once again to pay tribute to Our staff, with the support of our policing the hard work and dedication of all our partners, are continuing to enforce the people. None of this would be possible use of face coverings on our network, without them. London is counting on our with most customers remaining staff and services more than ever as we compliant, unless they are exempt, and enter the winter months and, despite the helping to prevent the spread of many challenges we face on all fronts, coronavirus. Now more than ever, we all they continue to rise to the challenge to need to play our part in keeping the keep this incredible city moving and network safe for those who need it most. working. Commissioner’s Report 3 2 Safety and security Deaths in service place, and are being complemented by We are doing everything we can to more strategic measures for the medium- support the families of the 48 colleagues to-long term. These focus on identifying who have died from coronavirus and will those individuals who are most at risk, continue to do so. Our Employee and where this risk can potentially be Assistance Programme is available to all mitigated by lifestyle changes, seeking to employees and their dependents and work with individuals to address those provides support, guidance and issues. information on a range of topics, including bereavement. This includes access to The successful identification of those in support from a qualified counsellor via a the most vulnerable groups is key, and we 24/7 telephone service, bereavement are helping line managers to make counselling services and access to Cruse, informed decisions regarding their the dedicated bereavement support employee’s health, safety and wellbeing. charity. Bereavement support is also We have developed a risk assessment tool extended to families of the deceased via to calculate an individual’s “COVID age” our Sarah Hope Line. based on their individual risk factors in order to identify those who are most Research into bus driver deaths due to vulnerable. Individuals with a “COVID age” COVID-19 of 70 or above are then encouraged to Phase 2 of this research is underway. On complete a more detailed assessment 20 October, all London bus drivers were which is managed within TfL by our invited to complete a survey which Occupational Health and Wellbeing team examines in more detail their non- and has undertaken over 2,400 such occupational and occupational risk factors assessments so far. We are working with for potentially catching COVID-19 and our bus operators to ensure they are all their response to the measures taken by using the TfL or an equivalent COVID-19 bus operators to reduce that risk. risk assessment process. When the University College London (UCL) is second national lockdown was seeking information from bus operators announced, our bus operators again on the demographics of all London bus furloughed a number of their staff who drivers. The final report will be published were deemed to be Clinically Extremely in January 2021 and will assist us and bus Vulnerable, although some staff in this operators in determining what further group requested to continue working and measures can be put in place to reduce were permitted to do so. risk to our employees. Longer-term risk reduction for both All the recommendations from the first COVID-19 and other health conditions part of the study have been undertaken or such as diabetes, hypertension and are ongoing. All previously implemented cardiovascular disease is very important, physical and practical measures, such as and we plan to build on our existing modifications to assault screens and Health Bus initiative to encourage enhanced cleaning regimes, remain in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Commissioner’s Report 4 underlying medical conditions that might We reviewed our current policies and not ordinarily affect an individual’s ability guidance to ensure that those who fell to drive safely, and might therefore not into either the clinically vulnerable or ordinarily be disclosed to the employer, clinically extremely vulnerable group such as diabetes. were protected during this period. Where our staff fell into a clinically extremely Clinically Extremely Vulnerable workers vulnerable category and were unable to A working group was set up during the work from home, we agreed to place first national lockdown to manage our response to coronavirus-related issues them on furlough leave for four weeks. for our clinically vulnerable and clinically This group is defined by the following: extremely vulnerable staff as categorised • People classed as clinically extremely by Public Health England (PHE). This vulnerable by PHE included requirements specific to our Black, Asian and minority ethnic • People who have received new employees. This working group continued shielding letters from the Government to address what local lockdowns and a • People whose doctor has placed them second wave of coronavirus could mean on the shielded patient list for employees in these categories. We • People who are currently off work have contingencies in place to protect following the outcome of assessment these groups and we are offering support by occupational health and their role to the individuals affected and their line risk assessment. managers in making informed decisions critical to their health, safety and We continue to encourage all employees wellbeing. to undertake our COVID-Age questionnaire, managed by our On 5 November, the recent national Occupational Health and Wellbeing team lockdown restrictions came into effect. to determine the risk categories of all Commissioner’s Report 5 staff, so we can manage the risk detail, and our extensive cleaning regime accordingly. will be reviewed and altered where necessary. By 17 November, the team had received more than 2,600 of these self- University College London sampling assessments. We are now able to identify In November, we launched the VIRAL our more vulnerable employees and research project led by University College enable them to return to work, where London. The aim is to understand and possible. We now also have a better mitigate transmission of coronavirus on understanding of the geographical spread our transport network. A key part of the of this group to help manage their work in scope is to undertake swab and air relation to their risk category. We will samples to find out if the coronavirus can continue to review our risk assessments, be detected. Researchers will take these advice and guidance following any on three London Underground lines updates from the Government and PHE. (District, Jubilee and Victoria), two types of double-deck buses (including the New Imperial College London sampling Routemaster) and a single-deck bus, at Each month, researchers from Imperial both peak and off-peak times. The College London travel on the Northern sampling on buses started on 12 line from Waterloo to Euston, and on the November and the sampling on London 205 bus route, during the peak so as to Underground will begin by early simulate a real customer journey. They December. A second set of sampling will take the same routes at the same times then be undertaken in the first quarter of each month to as to ensure the testing 2021.