Sadiq Khan supports a ‘Phase 2’ vaccination roll out including taxi & private hire drivers

Image credit: LEVC

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said he is in full support of key pubic service workers, such as taxi and private hire drivers, receiving the coronavirus injection during ‘Phase two’ of the vaccine roll out.

Speaking with Khan during a parliamentary discussion, Caroline Russell, London Assembly Member & Green Party Transport spokesperson, put forward the question: “Front line transport workers, particularly bus, taxi and private hire drivers, have been at greater risk of infection from coronavirus during the pandemic.

”Will you support early vaccination for these front line workers as part of the national prioritisation process?”

Khan confirmed that he had written directly to Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, welcoming the JCVI’s (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) initial prioritisation of NHS staff, as well as people living in care homes and care workers, but says he is fully supportive for ‘Phase Two’ including the likes of “others delivering key public services”, which would include taxi, private hire and bus drivers.

Khan says anyone who might be more vulnerable to infection “due to the public-facing nature” of their work needs to be considered for early vaccination.

He concluded: “Some BAME communities are over-represented in these frontline occupations and have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

”I recently asked the Government’s Vaccines Minister to work with London leaders in preparation for a second phase of roll out that may be more focused on occupation and roles that put people at greater risk.”